Fate's Wings
by Above the Winter Moonlight
Summary: COMPLETE Post-GoF AU. Transforming into a small dove to escape the abuse of the Dursleys, an injured Harry Potter travels to Hogwarts alongside his familiar Hedwig. There he is discovered by none other than Severus Snape and thus a friendship will grow. Epilogue Posted
1. Chapter One

**Fate's Wings**

**Author's Note:** This is partially in response to the **Animagus Accident **challenge by **Foolish Wishmaker **on Potions and Snitches and I thought it sounded like a good story idea to write. This story takes place after _Goblet of Fire_ and the events of OotP are likely to be AU, of course. In this story, Harry transforms unintentionally and therefore is not going to be charged by the Ministry but that's why it's AU. My dad thought up of the title so if it has already been used then sorry for taking it. I hope that you enjoy my new story and reviews are much appreciated. P.s WOOHOO, THE GLITCH HAS BEEN FIXED!

**Warnings:** Implied child abuse (nothing too graphic), neglect, profanity and violence

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Harry Potter, I never have and I never will, J.K Rowling does and I am only saying this once so I will not repeat it in later chapters._

**Chapter One**

She knew something was wrong when her boy, the one Harry Potter, came staggering back into Dudley's second bedroom with pain glittering in his eyes. Hedwig hooted quietly in concern in an attempt to get her boy's attention and was relieved when Harry glanced up at her.

"Sorry Hedwig, I won't be able to let you out like I said I would," Harry said softly before he sank down in his bed clearly in pain with the way he flinched as he lied down. Hedwig knew her boy was in pain but the boy was much too stubborn to admit it even to her even though she was always there for her ever since she picked him when he was in Diagon Alley over four years earlier.

And yet Hedwig knew that Harry didn't trust anyone enough to speak to them about the problem with his so called relatives. The snowy white elf didn't understand as to why the humans could be so cruel to Harry, making him do stuff around the house, beating him when he used magic, and generally made his life miserable.

If Hedwig wasn't stuck in the cage that she had to stay in while she was living in the Dursleys household then she would have made the human Vernon Dursley's life as miserable as he made her boy's life. Hedwig hooted again quietly and Harry's eyes flickered open before he turned on his side to gaze at the snowy owl.

"Are you hungry, girl? Or are you just restless" Harry asked pushing himself to his feet and walking over to the cage when Hedwig nodded once in reply to the second. "I don't care what Uncle Vernon says, you deserve some time to fly around."

Hedwig hooted before hopping out of her cage when Harry opened the door and she spread her wings. Harry walked over to the window before opening the window; for once the window wasn't covered with locks and her boy was able to open them with ease. She hooted her thanks although she was still concerned by her boy's pain and she flew out of the window feeling the wind against her feathers.

Hedwig came back to the room about an hour after she left and hooted in alarm when she spotted Harry's battered form lying limply on the bed. She flew over to rest on Harry's headboard before hooting loudly in an attempt to wake up her boy. When Harry failed to respond, she grew worried and hopped off of the headboard before landing on his shoulder. She dug in her talons before hooting loudly again hoping this time that her hoots would wake up her boy.

Harry groaned before blinking open his eyes and gazing around pain glittering in the depths of his emerald green gaze. "Hedwig," he moaned. "I feel horrible."

Hedwig hooted mournfully before spreading her wings and flying into the air as Harry sat up. She landed on the headboard again before hooting again as the door slammed open and the fat human stalked into the room.

"What are you doing here moping about, freak?" the human Vernon snarled angrily. "Get down stairs and fix dinner." He glanced at Hedwig before scowling and adding, "And put that disgusting creature away before I shoot her."

Harry's eyes grew worried. "Don't do that, I'll be down in a minute, Uncle Vernon," he said quickly.

"No, get down now and you, you filthy little bird, get back in that cage," the human Vernon yelled raising a hand and trying to strike at Hedwig but the owl spread her wings and flew upright quickly.

"Don't touch my owl," Harry protested a bit angrily.

"Don't you dare talk back to me like that," Vernon yelled before he raised his hand and slapped Harry hard across the face, sending him flying backwards to where his head hit the windowsill of the second bedroom.

Hedwig hooted angrily before flying rapidly toward the human Vernon but Vernon slapped her and she went spiraling to the ground at the other end of the house. She skidded before hooting and spreading her wings. She flew rapidly at Vernon who swatted her away.

"Leave her alone," Harry cried but the human Vernon only glared at him and grabbed the collar of Harry's too large shirt before tossing him roughly to the ground.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, freak," he screeched angrily before he delivered a sharp kick to Harry's side. Harry cried out in pain and Hedwig hooted angrily before flying rapidly at the human Vernon.

No one kicked her boy and got away with it.

* * *

><p>Harry Potter watched through pain filled eyes as Hedwig tried her best to defend him but Uncle Vernon was much bigger than her and could easily harm her. Harry realized that Vernon wasn't likely to let up until he either tossed Hedwig back into the cage or killed her.<p>

"Leave her alone," Harry cried again.

"Oh shut it boy," Vernon growled as he grabbed Hedwig and thrust her into the ground. He then glowered angrily at Harry before kicking him hard in the side again causing Harry to cry out in pain.

Hedwig screeched in fury before flying rapidly at Vernon as Harry struggled to get to his feet to help protect his familiar. Vernon growled angrily before lifting a meaty hand and slamming it into Hedwig causing her to go flying back into the ground.

"Hedwig!" Harry cried before struggling to his familiar's side.

"Get out of my way, boy," Vernon yelled kicking Harry hard in the stomach and causing him to gasp in pain. Hedwig hooted in concern although her wing looked to be injured and she could barely fly. She did try, however, to attack Vernon again but her wing caused her to barely manage to keep in the air.

Vernon continued to deliver blow upon blow to Harry and cries of pain continued until a blast of accidental magic erupted out of him, tossing Vernon to the other end of the room.

Harry gasped, eyes widening with shock, when he spotted his uncle struggling to push himself to his feet. Surprise coursed through his veins when he realized his gasp had come out like a coo and he gazed around rapidly noticing he was much lower to the ground than he had originally thought.

Hedwig got to her talons before gazing at Harry with her head tipped to one side as if looking confused. \_What's this?_/ She hooted and Harry was startled when he understood exactly what his familiar had said.

\_Hedwig? I can…I can understand you,_/ Harry said and was startled when his voice came out like another coo.

\_That's because you are a dove,_/ Hedwig hooted. \_In spite of the different species, my bond with you enables me to speak to you even though you are not an owl._/

Vernon snarled angrily before pushing himself to his feet. "Where did that bloody boy go?" he snarled angrily before he glared at the owl and the dove that were in Harry's room.

"Damn birds," he hissed before he quickly moved his leg to kick Harry and Hedwig but the two immediately flew into the air to avoid the kick.

\_I can fly,_/ Harry cooed in shock as he flew over his desk.

\_Don't overexert yourself, Harry,_/ Hedwig hooted back.

Vernon growled angrily. "Another of your freaky tricks, you little freak," he snarled angrily before he picked up a lamp and tossed it at Hedwig and Harry and both of them quickly flew away to avoid the lamp.

"Get out of here before I kill both of you," Vernon screeched angrily before he grabbed something else and Hedwig hooted angrily.

\_Come on, Harry. Let's get some help_,/ she hooted to Harry.

\_What about my stuff?_/ Harry cooed back as the two of them flew rapidly around each other to avoid the items that Vernon was tossing at him.

\_We'll get someone to get your stuff,_/ Hedwig hooted back.

Harry nodded his small gray head before he flew rapidly after Hedwig as his injured familiar flew through the open door and down the stairs. Vernon screeched angrily before he lumbered after the birds and grabbed Harry's small form before tossing him to the other end of the living area.

Harry cooed in pain as his small feathered body made contact with the wall at the other end of the living room. He felt dizzy and quickly realized his wing had been injured in the contact with the wall. Hedwig flew over to join him. \_Come on, Harry, we have to get out of here. Let's get going, perhaps we can get to Hogwarts,_/ she hooted.

Harry nodded his feathered head before struggling to raise his wings and cooed in pain. Hedwig glanced at him in concern. \_We're both injured but we have to get to Hogwarts,_/ she hooted.

Harry nodded before raising her wings and struggling to lift himself into the air and Hedwig flew at his side before the two birds flew rapidly out of an open window as Vernon lumbered after them with blistering curses spewing out of his mouth as they flew rapidly away.

* * *

><p>Severus Snape did not care for being woken up this early in the morning especially during the summer holidays but he could tell it was urgent just by the way he kept getting shook rapidly. He had come back to Hogwarts early after spending most of the summer vacation at Prince Manor. He groaned, a series of curse words leaving his mouth, before he blinked open obsidian eyes to find Albus Dumbledore gazing down at him with a faintly amused look in his blue eyes.<p>

"What could possibly be so wrong that you would wake me up at this unholy hour, Albus?" Severus growled sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

The twinkle disappeared from Albus's gaze. "The wards around the Dursley household have fallen," he said softly. "We don't know how it happened but Harry is in danger."

"Why tell me about it? _He_ hasn't contacted me so there is no telling that he knows the wards have fallen yet," Severus growled.

"Yes but that is what is very alarming. The wards have fallen but Arabella said that there was no sign of Harry leaving the house," said Albus. "Minerva, Nymphaedora and I are going to check it out. Let us know if Voldemort," Severus flinched, "contacts you."

"Of course, Albus," Severus sneered.

Albus nodded slowly before he straightened up and walked out of the Potion Professor's room. Severus sighed before closing his eyes and rolling onto his side but he was unable to go back to sleep after Albus left because, about twenty minutes after he left, a searing pain surged up his arm.

"Can't I get a bloody break?" Severus growled as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbed his Death Eater robes and mask and quickly left the bedroom. Quickly putting on the robes and mask, he got to the floo and picked up the floo powder. "Prince Manor!" He shouted before stepping into the green flames.

Once he arrived at his manor, he turned around before calling for Malfoy's manor and stepping through the green flames to reappear in Lucius Malfoy's living room. He walked over to join the gathered Death Eaters and he found that he was just in time as Voldemort appeared.

"Some interesting news has reached me concerning the Boy-Who-Lived," Voldemort said angrily. "It would appear the bloody blood wards that are protecting the boy have fallen but no one knows as to how they fell. I am sending Bellatrix and Lucius to the boy's household to find the boy and bring him to me."

Severus hesitated, unsure if he should interrupt but he knew that Voldemot would be even more angry if he kept what he knew to himself and the dark lord found out later. "My lord?" he said finally causing Voldemort's evil crimson gaze to fix on him.

"What, Severus?" He demanded in a hiss before he gestured for Severus to step forward. Severus moved forward before genuflecting to the ground at Voldemort's feet.

"Dumbledore mentioned that the Squib who was watching Potter's residence did not see if the boy had left and they are sending three Order members to check on the boy," Severus replied.

"Bellatrix and Lucius will keep an eye out for them," Voldemort said coolly before he turned his crimson gaze to Lucius and Bellatrix and Severus moved back to his position among the Death Eaters. "You two, be as inconspicuous as possible, the Order is not to know that we know the wards have fallen, not yet."

Bellatrix and Lucius nodded and Voldemort disappeared before the others disappeared as well. Once they disappeared, Severus, wondering what kind of trouble the brat he was secretly obliged to protect had gotten into now, made his way to Prince Manor before, from there, going to Dumbledore's office.

He was lucky, arriving just as Albus, Minerva and Nymphaedora, the last of the three had arrived at Hogwarts most likely as soon as Albus called her, were about to leave but leapt back in surprise when Severus appeared. "I take it Voldemort called," Albus said.

Severus nodded. "He is sending Lucius and Bellatrix to the Dursley household to find the Potter brat and bring him to him but they are going to be inconspicuous so you may not notice them right away."

Nymphaedora nodded once in reply. "We will keep an eye out for them," she said.

Severus stepped aside to allow Nymphaedora, Albus and Minerva to floo to Privet Drive before he made his way back down to the dungeons. All the while, he found himself thinking about the Boy-Who-Lived and the secret vow of protection he gave to his beloved Lily. Besides, after seeing Potter after the Triwizard Tournament, it sort of told Severus that Potter may not be like James Potter was. He was still prejudice toward Potter but he wasn't as bad as he was in first year.

_I wonder what trouble the Potter brat is in,_ Severus thought as he walked back into his room to catch a few more hours of sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: this is the first chapter of my brand new **_**Harry Potter**_** story, the first HP fic that is in response to a challenge on Potions and Snitches**

**Darth: I like it so far**

**Blaze: it may seem a bit unrealistic when it comes to the transformation part but oh well**

**Darth: I still liked it**

**Blaze: you always like it. Please review and I hope that you like the first chapter, I will update whenever I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon.**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

With Hedwig's help and constant companionship, Harry managed to make it as far as the island where Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was located. He was also lucky none of Voldemort's spies noticed him although it wasn't likely since they probably didn't know he was in the form of a dove.

\_Are you all right, Harry?_/ Hedwig asked.

\_My wing hurts,/ _Harry replied.

\_We'll stop then before your wing gets worse,_/ Hedwig hooted before flying toward a nearby tree that lay at the edge of the island and Harry, his eyes filled with pain, followed him before landing beside her.

He glanced at his feathery gray wing before tucking it in at his side, following Hedwig's example although he seemed to have already gained a bird's natural instincts when he accidentally transformed. He still hadn't the slightest clue as to how he transformed, his godfather, Sirius, told him that his father had been an animagus so it would make since that Harry was one as well but that didn't help to figure out how to transform back.

He felt lightheaded and glanced at Hedwig who hooted in concern. \_You look tired. Rest for a bit and than we shall continue onward. It should not take us long to reach the school but if you are as injured as you look then we will have to take it slow,_/ she said.

Harry nodded slowly, which proved to be a mistake and he grew more lightheaded than ever before. He closed his eyes and would have fallen off of the branch had Hedwig not stretched out her uninjured wing to catch him. Pulling the smaller bird to her side, Hedwig hooted softly as Harry slowly drifted off into a light sleep.

He woke up to his familiar gently nudging his wings with hers and he lifted his head before fixing emerald eyes on his familiar. Hedwig hooted softly, \_We need to get going, I sense something dangerous is near,_/ before she spread her wings although Harry could see the pain in her eyes from when Vernon had tossed her.

He slowly rose as well but his wing still ached and he nearly fell from the sky when he spread his wings and started to rise. Hedwig caught him, however, and slowly guided him through the trees of the forest. \_We'll keep low,_/ said Hedwig. \_That way, no one can spot us in the sky and we will be able to land if we get too tired._/

\_That's sounds good,_/ Harry cooed back as he and Hedwig struggled to fly through the forests on the island as they tried their hardest to make their way to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore could tell something was wrong almost as soon as he approached Petunia and Vernon Dursley's house on Privet Drive. He didn't know how he knew that something was wrong but he did and he could tell Nymphaedora and Minerva were also quite nervous, sensing that something was wrong.<p>

Albus kept his gaze fixed not only on the house the blood wards use to protect but also for any Death Eaters that may be in the vicinity. Severus had told him that Death Eaters were going to be near here, waiting for a chance to take the boy if he was, indeed, here.

Albus narrowed his eyes as he raised a hand and knocked on the door.

"Could someone get that?" A loud male voice shouted and a moment later the door opened to reveal the horse faced skinny Petunia Dursley.

Petunia scowled angrily. "It's you," she hissed before she glanced over her shoulder. "Vernon, those freaks are here!"

"It's about bloody time," Vernon growled stalking forward. "Look at what that little brat did to my house!"

Albus got a good look at the house and noticed a few picture frames had fallen but it otherwise looked fine. "I don't see any problem," he said smoothly. "We actually came concerning your nephew. Is he here?"

"No, that no good little brat disappeared," Vernon growled. "That pesky owl of his had something to do with it and he did some more freaky stuff and then the next thing I knew there was an owl and a dove in the bloody brat's room."

"A dove?" Minerva echoed.

Albus could tell that they were all thinking the same thing. _Could Harry be an animagus?_

"And where did you last see the owl and the dove?" Nymphaedora asked getting to the point of why they had come to Privet Drive, to find Harry Potter.

"They flew out of the window," Vernon growled pointing to the open window in the living room. "And haven't been seen since. Good riddance, I say. That boy has been nothing more than a bloody nuisance ever since he was given to us but he's been particularly bad this year."

"He keeps going on and on about a Cedric," a fat little boy that Albus assumed was Dudley Dursley, put in.

_Cedric Diggory, the boy that had been killed by Voldemort after the Triwizard Tournament, it makes since that Harry is having nightmares about it,_ Albus thought. "And you didn't think to ask him what it was about?" he asked.

"Why should I? He's just a freak," Dudley said in spite of the glare he was receiving from his parents.

Minerva's eyes flashed. "Do you always call him a freak?" she demanded.

"He is one so why should we lie?" Dudley said again oblivious to the glares his parents were giving him. "He always gets into trouble with his freakish abilities."

Albus sighed, he really didn't want to hear anymore of this, especially if those Death Eaters were starting to close in. All they were powerful, Bellatrix and Lucius weren't stupid enough to try and attack when Albus was there so it was likely they would attack soon after they left.

He glanced at Nymphaedora and Minerva. "We'll need to get them out of here," he whispered quietly. "Voldemort knows that we cannot take the boy away from here and if we cannot make it seem as though we're reinforcing the wards then the Dursleys will be in danger."

Minerva nodded before looking at the Dursleys. "Why don't you three go on a vacation?" she suggested. "Get out of the house until your son has to return to school. It'll be our treat to pay you back for what happened with the dove and owl." Albus could tell that it pained her very much to say those words but if it would get the Dursleys away from the house before the Death Eaters attacked then it was something she had to do.

"Where are we going?" Dudley asked.

"You pick the destination," Albus said smoothly. "We'll pay for it and again we are sorry about what happened." It also pained him to say those words since it was obvious that accidental magic had been at work here but if he didn't say something like that then the Dursleys would be in danger if they refused to leave.

"All right," Vernon growled before he lumbered away to get ready and Albus stepped back as Petunia closed the door and also got their stuff packed and ready to go.

"The Death Eaters aren't attacking," Nymphaedora said. "That's why I think we should stay here until the Dursleys leave."

Albus nodded. "I agree," he said. "We'll ask the Dursleys to let us at least stay in the house. We may as well see if we can get Harry's stuff before we attempt to find him."

"I'll contact Severus and tell him to keep an eye out for Harry in his dove form or Harry's familiar," Minerva said and Albus nodded as the Head of Gryffindor House made her way to Arabella's Figgs place to use her fireplace to contact Severus.

* * *

><p>Hedwig could tell that her boy was growing tired and she finally insisted that her boy had to rest. Harry shook his small head stubbornly. \<em>I'm fine,<em>/ he cooed although his eyes said a completely different story.

\_No you are not,_/ Hedwig hooted back. \_You need to rest, your wing is badly injured and needs to be looked at. Land and we'll rest for a bit before we go on._/

\_But we haven't traveled that far yet,_/ Harry protested. \_At this rate, we won't make it back to Hogwarts until winter._/

\_It would do you no good if you fall out of the sky before we reach Hogwarts,_/ Hedwig hooted in reply.

\_But…_/

\_No 'buts', you are not going to go flying around if you are at risk of falling from the sky. Your wing needs time to heal, we'll stop for the time being,_/ Hedwig said firmly before she guided Harry toward a nearby tree branch and Harry sank grateful onto it, even if he was too stubborn to admit that he really did need rest. It wasn't entirely because he was stubborn that he refused to stop, it was because the time he spent with Dursleys easily convinced him to keep his pain to himself and not make a big deal out of it.

Hedwig understood everything that Harry had gone through and understood as to why he was so stubborn. She hated what those human things did to him and if she could she would probably avenge what happened to her boy. But right now, she had to focus on getting her boy to Hogwarts before his wing completely failed him. Right now, Hedwig could see that it was getting worse and it was a miracle that Harry was still able to stay in flight.

Hedwig's own wing ached but she hadn't been as injured as Harry was since she was still able to fly without having to stop constantly to rest. Harry, on the other hand, had hit the wall so hard that Hedwig had heard his bone wing crack. It was only because of Harry's magic that Harry was still able to fly but Hedwig knew it would only be a matter of time before his magic would not be able to keep his wing from breaking.

Next there was the fact that Harry had transformed himself into a dove on accident to save himself and Hedwig from the human Vernon's wrath. Hedwig hadn't the slightest clue as to how that happened and she wasn't entirely sure as to how to transform her boy back into, well, a boy.

\_Do you have any idea as to how this happened?_/ Hedwig hooted.

Harry shook his small head. \_I just wanted to escape Vernon and it just happened. I think it was accidental magic,_/ he cooed back.

Hedwig tipped her head to one side thinking. \_When we get to Hogwart, we are going to have to find someone who can help you transform back or figure out what you did,_/ she hooted in reply.

Harry nodded his head before he stood on his talons. \_I'm ready to continue,_/ he said.

Hedwig hesitated as she examined her boy before she stretched out her face to examine Harry closer. \_For a little while, we will take this journey in slow stages,_/ she said before she spread her wings and shot off into the sky with Harry weakly flying behind her.

Hedwig dropped to where she was flying at Harry's side before she placed her uninjured wing over him to guide him. It was clear her boy was in pain but he was pushing himself to try and get to Hogwarts before his wing broke on him. Hedwig feared he would use too much magic to keep himself in the air and exhaust himself.

Hedwig kept an eye on Harry as the two of them flew onward through the trees but she also kept an eye on the ground just in case someone would try to attack them from the ground. They were flying dangerously close to the ground although they kept as high as the branches of the tree so that they may land when Harry grew too exhausted or too filled with pain to continue.

Hedwig found herself hoping that she and her boy would be able to make it to Hogwarts before anything too horrible happened to them.

* * *

><p>Severus was pulled out of his musings as a head poked out of the green flames and he scowled when he recognized Minerva. "What brings you here?" he asked.<p>

"We found out something that Albus thought you should know about," Minerva replied. "May I step through?"

"By all means."

Minerva disappeared only to reappear in Severus's lounge area of his room at Hogwarts. "We've discovered that Harry used accidental magic and somehow transformed himself into a dove. He and his familiar left the Dursleys and for some reason, that caused the wards to fall. No one knows at to where they can be right now; however that means You-Know-Who doesn't know either," she said.

"Until Lucius and Bellatrix report back saying that the Potter brat isn't at the Dursleys then it's likely he'll ask me," Severus said.

"Albus and Nymphaedora are sending the Dursleys on a vacation to get them out of the house in case the Death Eaters attack if they still believe the boy is there but Albus told me to tell you to keep an eye out for a dove or Harry's familiar as they are likely to head here. Also, Albus is sending Harry's stuff to Gryffindor Tower since he most likely was unable to carry it when he left."

Severus nodded once although he scowled inwardly. _So that's the trouble the Potter brat got into, transforming himself into a dove and most likely not knowing how to transform back,_ he thought. "I'll keep an eye out for him," he said.

"Doves and owls can make it past the wards around Hogwarts so you'll have to watch carefully," Minerva said.

"No need to restate the obvious, Minerva," Severus growled.

Minerva shrugged. "I'd best be getting back," she said. "Just keep an eye out for them."

Severus nodded curtly in reply and Minerva turned around before disappearing through the floo after calling for Arabella Figg's house. Sighing and wondering why it was that he couldn't get a break when it came to the Potter brat he was secretly supposed to protect, Severus got to his feet before making his way out of the dungeons.

* * *

><p>Harry was growing more exhausted the further they flew from their last rest stop but he refused to admit it to Hedwig, in spite of the fact that his familiar kept glancing at him with concern in her eyes. His wing ached each time he so much as moved it and Harry knew that it would have broken long ago had it not been for his magic.<p>

That was also causing him to grow more exhausted as the two birds struggled to make their way to, at the very least, the Forbidden Forest, before trying to get to Hogwarts. In truth, Harry hadn't the slightest clue as to where he was to begin with and figured he had to be near Hogwarts since the island wasn't all that big.

All he could see were trees lining the area around him since he and Hedwig were only flying just beneath the tops of the trees so that they would be able to find a resting place quickly. Harry pushed himself onward although his wing continued to burn with pain but he was used to pain, living with the Dursleys he sort of had to be used to pain.

Harry was growing more tired and Hedwig could tell that something was wrong. He followed Hedwig but he started to lag behind, his wing starting to hurt more and more until it gave out on him and he spiraled to the ground.

\_Harry!_/ Hedwig hooted loudly in alarm before flying rapidly to Harry's side to try and catch him before he hit the ground.

Harry suddenly felt talons curve around his wings and he was gently guided to the ground where he collapsed exhausted and filled with pain. \_Hedwig?_/ He called weakly.

\_You're much too injured to be flying,_/ Hedwig said firmly. \_We're still a great distance from Hogwarts but I might be able to make it there and get help before my wing gives out._/

\_But…you're hurt too, you shouldn't do that,_/ Harry protested.

\_You are injured and I will get you help,_/ Hedwig hooted firmly. She gently nudged Harry into a small hole. \_Stay here._/

Harry hesitated but nodded before tucking his wing in as Hedwig spread her wings. \_I will be back,_/ she promised before she took off into the sky and flew rapidly away.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: well that was chapter two and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated. Oh and sorry for any mistakes that you find in the last two chapters. I'll proofread the next chapter before I post it so there, hopefully, won't be any mistakes in chapter three as there are in chapter two.**

**Darth: I liked it, who's Hedwig going to find?**

**Blaze: you will figure out in the next chapter**

**Darth: okay**

**Blaze: please review and I will post chapter 3 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon although it might be Friday.**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Hedwig flew rapidly through the forest, dodging around branches, rustling leaves and feeling the wind rush against her wings. She didn't pause although her wings were starting to ache; she knew that, for some reason, Harry was in worse shape than she was even though she got thrown around a few times as well. She dodged around a large tree before rising up until she was above the tree line. A dark expanse of trees lay in front of her, immediately alerting her to the fact that she had arrived at the Forbidden Forest.

_Hogwarts is just beyond it,_ Hedwig told herself as she spread her wings and flew rapidly, letting the wind guide her wings as the wind was blowing in the direction of the large school that she could see in the distance.

She felt exhaustion starting to claw at her but she ignored it as she swerved above the trees to avoid a flock of birds that were flying in the opposite direction. She was growing more exhausted but she had to keep going, she just had to.

She started growing more exhausted as she neared the wards and her wing throbbed painfully as she struggled to stay in the air. She flew through the wards before spiraling downward, unable to keep in the air any longer. Hedwig managed to right herself to avoid crashing face first into the ground.

Hopping to her talons, Hedwig gazed around as she struggled to find someone, anyone, that can help her boy. The school was quiet and looked to be deserted but Hedwig knew someone had to be there but she wasn't entirely sure as to who was there.

She struggled into the air and noticed that she could only stay a few feet above the ground, the high altitude was what caused her wing to give out on her. Hedwig flew toward the nearest open window before flying through it and she found herself in the Great Hall. _This is a start,_ she thought as she flew onward, hoping without a doubt that she would be able to find someone who can help her.

Hedwig hoped that a door was open and she noticed that her hope was not in vain. She flew rapidly through the open door before gazing around as she struggled to find someone, anyone. She flew down the corridors of Hogwarts before she finally found someone that she could get help from.

* * *

><p>Severus glanced up as he walked out of his classroom after he finished getting the equipment ready for the students who would be coming in a few days. He frowned when he spotted a snowy white owl he recognized instantly as Potter's flying rapidly toward him although it was clear the owl was injured.<p>

_But where is the dove that Potter is supposedly supposed to be?_ Severus wondered silently as the owl lost control of her wings and would have crashed into the ground had Severus not stretched out his arms to prevent that.

"Well, what do we have here?" He mused out loud as he examined the snowy owl that he was carrying

The snow owl hooted before struggling to fly again but her wing, Severus noticed immediately, was badly damaged. "You are in no shape to fly," Severus said knowing full well that the owl could understand him.

The owl glared at him before hooting angrily and gesturing with her beak back the way she had come.

"I take it you know where Potter is," Severus said easily getting the gist of what Potter's familiar was trying to say.

The owl nodded before hooting again and Severus growled as the owl tried to start flying again. "That's not helping anyone," he murmured. "Just point me in the general direction of where Potter is."

The snowy owl nodded her head before hooting and pointing toward the main doors to Hogwarts and Severus straightened up before walking over to the gates. He walked out of them before the snowy owl pointed toward the Forbidden Forest.

"What the bloody hell is he doing in the Forbidden Forest?" Severus growled.

The snowy owl hooted before shaking her head and pointing again toward the forest. Severus frowned before understanding dawned on him. "He's beyond the Forbidden Forest," he said finally and the snowy owl nodded once in reply.

Severus sighed before walking quickly past the walls of Hogwarts until he was past the anti-apparition wards. Holding the snowy owl tightly to avoid her getting lose during the apparition, he apparated to a spot just beyond the Forbidden Forest.

The snowy owl hooted clearly not liking apparating but it was the fastest mode of transportation and Severus had a bad feeling that Potter was injured or else he would have been with his owl. Besides, his owl was injured so it stands to reason that he would be injured as well.

"Now where is he?" Severus asked the owl.

The snowy owl hooted before pointing in front of him and the Potions Professor nodded before following the owl's silent instructions as he was led deeper into the forest.

* * *

><p>Harry's wing had gone numb and he couldn't feel it at all. He wasn't entirely sure as to how long he has been in the little hole that Hedwig had placed him in but he figured it must have been a long time or else he wouldn't feel as though he entire body was asleep.<p>

He heard the sound of hooting and he poked his head out of the hole that Hedwig had placed him in as Hedwig's face appeared gazing in concern at him. \_Are you all right?_/ she hooted.

\_Tired, my entire body feels like its' asleep and my wing's numb,_/ Harry cooed back.

\_I brought back someone who can help,_/ Hedwig hooted.

"You will need to step aside if you want me to see to the boy," a familiar voice that Harry did not want to hear said.

Hedwig hopped aside and Harry lifted his small head as Professor Snape knelt down beside the hole. "Come on out Potter," he said.

Harry glared at Hedwig. \_Why'd you bring him?_/ he cooed in protest.

\_He was the only one I could find. I assure you, he will not harm you, I feel I can trust him,_/ Hedwig hooted back.

Owls were known to be very wise, they wouldn't say they trusted someone unless they could trust said person. Harry didn't know if he could trust Snape do to how Snape treated him the past four years while in class. But Harry also knew that Snape was the only one who could help him with his injured wing and take him back to Hogwarts.

Slowly, Harry, with Hedwig's help, hopped out of the whole before examining Snape as the Professor stretched out a hand before touching his injured wing. Harry cooed in pain before jerking back, glaring at Snape.

"Well, I see you still have all of your qualities, Potter, but I will have to touch your wing in order to figure out what's wrong with it," Snape said silkily although his voice was tinged with a cold impatience that told Harry he shouldn't get on Snape's bad side, especially when he was in this form.

Cooing angrily, Harry let Snape touch his wing before he lifted it into his long slender fingers and examined the wing. "It looks broken, I'm amazed you managed to make it this far on a broken wing, Potter," he said.

Harry glanced at Hedwig briefly.

"I take it your familiar helped you get here," Snape muttered. "Professor McGonagall did mention that you and your familiar were seen flying out of the Dursleys household. How you got that broken wing, I cannot fathom."

Harry cooed but he knew that the Potions Professor wouldn't be able to understand him so he gave up trying to explain what had happened. Snape lowered his wing before scooping him up into his hand. "We will have to apparate directly to the wards of Hogwarts," he said glancing at Hedwig who hopped onto his other arm. "There, I will see what I can do about that wing."

Harry cooed questioningly.

"Believe me, Potter, I would much rather do something else rather than take care of you but be that as it may, I am the only teacher currently at Hogwarts at this particular moment in time," Snape said, his traditional sneer crossing his facial features. Harry squeezed his eyes shut as they apparated away from the clearing in the forest.

* * *

><p>Severus walked down the corridors of Hogwarts, his black cloak billowing about his legs as he made his way to the dungeons. Potter and his familiar were in his hands trying to get over the aftereffects of the side long apparition. Since Severus wasn't all to adept at carrying for animals, he had to hope that Hagrid would be coming back to the school soon as he was much better. But for now, Severus could look after Potter and perhaps heal him himself.<p>

He was an adept healer after all. It was hard to obtain a Potions Mastery and not be at least an adept at the art of healing.

Entering the dungeons, Severus placed the dove on his desk before watching as the snowy owl hopped off of his arm and stood protectively over Potter. _Familiars are protective of who they chose to be with,_ Severus mused silently.

"There is no telling if I will be able to heal your wing, Potter," he said lifting the wing again before examining it. "You seemed to have just broken the bone so I should be able to mend it quickly." He pulled out his wand from a sheath that was located on his arm.

Hedwig hooted in concern.

"Rest assured I know what I am doing," Severus said before he pointed the wand at Potter's wing and murmured a quiet spell beneath his breath. Potter winced but otherwise stayed silent as the bone mended itself. _Seems he is still able to take pain,_ Severus thought. "It should be all right now but I suggest that you not take to the skies for a few days."

The snow owl hooted out a question that Severus didn't understand although he did get the gist of the question. "Let me take a look at your wing," he said to the owl without bothering on replying to the question because he wasn't entirely sure as to what the owl was trying to ask him.

The snowy owl hesitated before hopping forward and Severus took the wing in his hand. "Not as bad as Potter's wing," he mused. "So it shouldn't take long to mend." He murmured a spell under his breath as he tapped his wand against the owl's wing.

"Now then, you will stay here while I contact Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall," Severus said before he stood up and walked into the living area of his rooms before he floo traveled to Dumbledore's office but he noticed it was empty which meant it was likely he was still watching over the Dursleys and making sure they got away before the Death Eaters attacked.

He glanced at Fawkes as the phoenix regarded him with intelligent eyes. "Would you mind giving a message to Dumbledore for me when he returns?" Severus asked the phoenix who nodded his head in consent.

_Accio_'ing a piece of parchment, Severus used the quill and the ink on Dumbledore's death before writing a message to Dumbledore, telling him that he found the boy and his familiar, before he folded it and handed it to Fawkes who nodded once as he took it.

Severus turned back to the floo before traveling back to his rooms and gazing around as he walked into his office. Potter and the snowy owl were still there although they looked to be fast asleep.

_Well that's a good thing,_ Severus thought as he sat down behind the desk. _They'll have to rest if their wings are going to make a full recovery._

* * *

><p>Harry blinked his eyes open before yawning and was a bit startled when his yawn came out as a coo. What happened the day before and what happened at the Dursleys came rushing back and Harry blinked again before gazing around, noticing that he was in Snape's office.<p>

_Bloody hell, this is the last place I want to be,_ Harry thought.

\_The human Snape saved you, Harry,_/ Hedwig hooted quietly. \_He healed your wing_./

Harry blinked, he found that hard to believe. _Snape_, of all people, actually healed _him_. \_I find that hard to believe,_/ he cooed softly back.

\_Believe it or not, it's true,_/ said Hedwig.

Snape walked into his office at that moment before examining Harry and Hedwig. "Well, at least you two are up," he said sweeping deeper into the room. "Dumbledore will be back soon to see if he can transform you back into your human form."

Harry cooed in surprise. \_How does he suppose to do that when this was caused by accidental magic?_/ He said out loud.

\_There is great power around the human Dumbledore, Harry,_/ Hedwig chirped quietly. \_If anyone can turn you back into a human, he can_./

The floo flared to life at that moment and Snape glanced up before glancing into the living area. He scowled to himself before he glanced at Harry. "You two need to hide," he murmured very quietly so as not to be carried into the living room.

"Severus?" A very familiar voice called.

"I'll be right there, Lucius," Snape called back before he gestured for Harry and Hedwig to hide and the two birds immediately hopped off of the desk before hiding beneath it as Snape swept his way into the living area.

Harry hopped toward the door, not yet using his wing and ignoring a quiet warning chirp from Hedwig. He peered around the corner and spotted Snape and the familiar blonde hair of Lucius Malfoy.

"What brings you here at this hour, Lucius?" Snape asked.

"I found some interesting information, Severus," Malfoy replied with a sinister smirk that sent a chill go down Harry's spine. "It would appear accidental magic occurred at the Dursley residency and Bella and I overheard Dumbledore and the Order speaking about Potter's familiar and another animal being seen flying out of the Dursley house."

"Oh really?" Snape echoed silkily. "Just because Dumbledore isn't here at this moment, Lucius, doesn't give you free reign to come here and speak about this."

"Oh come now, Severus," Lucius said with a wave of his hand. "We all know that your chambers are secure. Besides, are you not the only teacher currently here?"

"True."

Harry narrowed his eyes but he otherwise remained silent as Lucius smirked. "Our lord is currently sending out every available supporter to find the boy but since he can be anywhere and be in any form it will take us a while to find him," he said coolly. "He also requests that you find out as much as you can when Dumbledore returns and report back to him."

Harry felt filled with horror. He knew it, Snape was a traitor! He knew that the lord had to be Voldemort and that meant Snape worked for the dark lord. He was a traitor.

_But that makes no sense. If he was really working for Voldemort then why did he save my life first year?_ Harry wondered silently.

Hedwig hopped to his side. \_Some betrayals are not as they seem,_/ she whispered and Harry glanced at his familiar, knowing that she had heard everything but wondering why she said that.

"I know nothing right now about the boy and I doubt that Dumbledore knows where the boy is but I will speak about it to him," said Severus.

Harry frowned. _Why did Snape lie? Is this what Hedwig meant?_ He wondered silently.

"Well, keep us informed, Severus," Lucius said. He turned gray eyes toward the doorway and Harry and Hedwig immediately ducked away, hoping that no one had heard them.

"Don't I always?" Snape sneered and a moment later, the floo flared to life and Harry glanced up as Snape swept back into the room and he glared at him, betrayal in his eyes.

Snape glanced down at him. "Do stop looking at me like that, Potter," he said curtly. "I'll explain it all in a bit but first I must check to see if Dumbledore has returned yet." It was obvious Snape knew Harry and Hedwig had eavesdropped on his conversation with Lucius Malfoy.

He bent down and lifted Harry and Hedwig before placing them on his desk. "Stay here, I will be back momentarily," he said before he swept his way out of the room, black cloak billowing about him.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 3 and I hope that you like it**

**Darth: I liked this chapter**

**Blaze: I hope that you like this chapter**

**Darth: yeah**

**Severus: hi**

**Darth: I'm off to Starbucks (walks off to Starbucks)**

**Blaze: typical**

**Severus: you're telling me**

**Blaze: please review and I will post chapter 4 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Albus Dumbledore flooed back to his office with Minerva McGonagall and Nymphaedora Tonks behind him. "At the very least, the Dursleys will be out of harms way," he said glancing back at the two other Order members who were behind him.

"We can only hope," Nymphaedora replied.

"Yes we can," Albus agreed. "Well I do hope that Severus found Harry and his familiar by now."

"If they left when the Dursleys said they did then it's likely they reached the Forbidden Forest by now unless they were injured," Minerva said.

Fawkes squawked before pointing his beak to the desk and Albus frowned before walking over to it and lifting up a letter clearly written in Severus's handwriting. He read it before sighing with relief and glancing at the other Order members. "Severus has Harry," he said. "From what his note says, Harry's familiar came to him and guided him to where Harry was. Harry had been injured but Severus healed him."

"It's a good thing that Harry was found by a member of the Order rather than a minion of the dark lord," Nymphaedora said.

At that moment, the floo flared to life and Severus stepped gracefully out of the fireplace that led into Albus's office. "Headmaster, welcome back," he greeted the Headmaster in his usual smooth albeit cold voice.

"I just read your note, Severus. Is Harry still with you?" Albus asked.

"Yes but we have bigger problems," Severus said. "Lucius Malfoy paid me a visit just after I brought Potter and his familiar back to Hogwarts. You-Know-Who knows that accidental magic occurred at the Dursley household and two animals left the house. He has all of his agents looking for Potter in any form and Potter's familiar. He also wants me to report back on anything that I discover from you when you returned. He does not know, however, that Potter was right beneath his nose when he visited me."

"That is a good thing," Minerva said. "So I don't see what the problem is?"

"The problem is that Potter heard everything," Severus replied curtly. "I could see it in his eyes, he thinks I'm a traitor because of what he overheard."

Albus narrowed his blue eyes. "He isn't old enough to know about the Order," he said.

"I know this," Severus retorted curling his lip. "But he will come to you with this information once he regains his human form, I know he will. That is another problem, I cannot seem to figure out how Potter changed so I cannot figure out how to change him back."

"He will have to stay in your quarters for the time being then, Severus," Albus said. "If he leaves then there will be a greater chance that Voldemort," Severus flinched, "and his agents will find him. Voldemort would never think that you would watch over Harry personally after all."

Severus sneered. "I have no wish to watch over the Potter brat," he snapped.

"It is only until we can turn him back into a human, Severus," Albus said. "I am sure Harry's familiar will help you to watch over him as well since she seems quite protective of Harry."

Severus growled angrily.

"It will not be that long," said Minerva. "I can take a look at Harry and see how he transformed before we can think of coming up with a spell that can transform him back."

"He deserves an explanation of what he heard although," Albus said. "I think it is time Harry Potter knew about the Order of the Phoenix."

"Is that wise?" Minerva asked. She glanced at Severus. "How much of your conversation with Lucius did he hear?"

"All of it most likely. Potter has an uncanny ability to listen to conversations that are none of his concern," Severus sneered.

"If he heard everything then he deserves to know that you are not a traitor, Severus," Albus said. "We can have him swear an Oath to keep what he leans a secret although we may have to wait until he's back in human form in order to do that. Severus, I want you to tell Harry about the Order and about your part in it."

Severus inclined his head briefly in reply. "There is no telling if he will believe me, Albus," he said. "Potter is very stubborn and it will be hard pressed to convince him that I am speaking the truth."

"I am sure he will be able to understand so long as you take the time to explain everything to him," Minerva said. "He's an intelligent boy after all."

Severus nodded sharply. "I'd best get back then," he said. "There is no telling as to when _he_ will call me again."

Albus nodded and watched as Severus turned around before disappearing into the green flames of the floo.

* * *

><p>Harry glanced up as Snape walked back into the office approximately ten minutes after he left. Hedwig stayed at his side as Snape sat down behind his desk before examining Harry for a long moment. "I find it odd that you transformed yourself into a dove of all animals, Potter," he said.<p>

Harry merely glared at him.

"Did I not say to stop glaring at me like that? I told you I would explain what you overheard but I had to speak with Dumbledore first, more to gain his permission than anything," Snape snapped.

\_Listen to him, we can trust him,_/ Hedwig hooted. Harry nodded slowly deciding it would be best if he listened to his familiar.

"I will start with what Dumbledore wanted me to speak to you about first, the Order of the Phoenix."

Harry's eyes filled with surprise. \_What's that?_/ he cooed before he remembered that Snape couldn't understand.

He did, however, get the gist of what Harry was trying to ask. "The Order of the Phoenix is an order created by Dumbledore during the First Wizardring War, your mother and father were a part of it."

Harry's eyes went wide at that.

"At first, I was not apart of the Order," Snape admitted. "As you heard, I was a follower of the dark lord for quite a while until I learned of what is known as the Prophecy. I truly believed that it was utter nonsense but I figured it would keep the dark lord busy, I had no idea that he would actually believe the prophecy to be real, considering it was uttered by Professor Trelawney."

Harry remembered that the Divination professor couldn't even predict her own future let alone the future of someone else.

Snape was silent for a long moment as he examined Harry. "I was a very good friend of your mother's, Potter," he said finally. "We grew up together on the same street and I was the one that first told her she was a witch. It wasn't until I called her something that I really wish I hadn't that she turned her back on me and I, filled with grief, joined the Death Eaters. A few months later, she came to me and gave me her forgiveness before asking that I become your unofficial godfather, she was about three months pregnant with you at the time."

Harry's eyes shot wide with shock. _Snape is my godfather?_ He thought surprised beyond belief.

"We would have made it official but at the time I was still a Death Eater. It was only after I delivered the prophecy to the dark lord and he decided to act upon it that I realized what I had done. The dark lord had narrowed down the possibilities of those who will go against him to your family and the Longbottoms. He immediately decided to go after your family."

Snape was silent for a long moment while Harry stared at him with utter horror in his eyes.

"I went to Dumbledore immediately," he said. "I told him of what I had done and I told him that the dark lord was going after your family. That was when I turned my back on the Death Eaters and Dumbledore made me his spy, sending me back to the dark lord's side to get information on him that could help the Order."

Harry's eyes were now huge with shock. _So Snape isn't betraying us. He was a spy all along,_ he thought gazing at Hedwig who lowered her head as if sensing what he was thinking.

\_I told you, Harry, I trust him,_/ Hedwig hooted softly.

Harry glanced at Snape for a long moment, a question coming to his mind and he once again wished he wasn't a dove so that he could ask Snape it. Snape was examining him, clearly waiting for a reaction of some sort but Harry figured that Snape figured his reaction wouldn't come unless he could speak to Snape and be understood.

"Dumbledore is going to bring your Head of House over to see if she can figure out what caused you to transform into a dove and see if we can transform you back. Until then, you will be staying in my chamber as the dark lord would not think to look for you in my care considering my position," Snape added.

Harry, still in shock by Snape's confession, slowly nodded, wondering why Snape decided to tell him all of this. Clearly seeing the question in his eyes, Snape sighed. "For once, I wish you could speak to me, Potter. It is very unnerving to see you throw a questioning glance at me and I am unable to determine what you are trying to ask," he said curtly.

Harry cooed angrily as if to tell Snape that it wasn't his fault.

"Actually, Potter, it is partially your fault as it was your magic that transformed you into a dove," Snape said. Harry blinked, wondering if Snape had somehow read his mind. "And I can assure you, Potter, I did not read your mind but I can read you like an open book sometimes."

Harry, if he could, would have scowled at that.

Hedwig touched his wing with hers. \_Calm down, remember, you can trust the human Snape,_/ she hooted.

\_I'm not entirely sure if he is speaking the truth, Hedwig,_/ Harry cooed back.

At that moment, the floo flared to life and Harry lifted his head as Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore walked into Snape's office. McGonagall examined Harry for a long moment. "Harry?" she asked quietly.

Harry lowered his head in assent.

"Oh my, I do wonder how this happened," Dumbledore exclaimed before he stretched out a hand and touched Harry's feathers.

"I'll see what I can figure out," McGonagall said. "But it will be hard as we do not know of the nature behind this transformation. We know that it was accidental magic but we need to figure out what caused that accidental magic before I can figure out how this occurred."

Snape sneered. "Well, for one we know it's obvious he's an animagus," he said. "That much is for certain."

"Indeed," McGonagall agreed. "We will have to be careful though. If we do it wrong then there's a chance that Harry will be a dove forever."

Harry blinked his eyes a few times.

"I thought Animagus's usually took the form of their Patronus," Albus said.

"That is true," McGonagall agreed. "But very few animagus's do not transform into what their Patronus is, such as Harry here since his Patronus is a stag but he transformed into a dove."

Snape snorted. "Everything about Potter is unique," he said.

Harry glowered at Snape who merely shrugged as if to say 'Well it's true.'

McGonagall pulled out her wand before waving it over Harry and murmuring a spell under her breath. Harry felt the magic wash over him before he closed his eyes as the magic dissipated.

"Hmmm, from what I can deduce, Harry transformed approximately five hours before we arrived at the Dursleys, which was around the exact time the wards fell. I think that the wards and Harry's transformation were interlinked with each other. Unfortunately, I can't see a way to counteract it. The only thing I can think of is that Harry may have to transform back on his own. I have determined that he has drained much of his magic however so he does not have the strength to transform back. I'm not entirely sure if I'm correct so we may want to have Poppy take a look at him."

"I will contact her right away," Dumbledore said before he glanced at Snape. "May I use your floo?"

Snape inclined his head and Dumbledore disappeared into the living room of Snape's chambers.

"If he has drained his magic somehow then he will have to rest for quite a while to regain it in order to transform back," Snape said.

McGonagall nodded.

Dumbledore came back into the office at that moment with Madame Pomfrey just behind him. "We were lucky, Poppy just came back from her vacation about ten minutes ago," he said before he glanced at Pomfrey. "We want to clarify what Minerva found out about Harry here."

Pomfrey frowned. "Is Harry the dove?" she asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied.

Pomfrey pulled out her wand before waving it over Harry and she frowned as she put the wand away. "His magic is depleted, it appears that he used his magic to keep himself from feeling pain."

"That must be how he managed to fly all the way to the island on a broken wing," Snape murmured. "His magic was keeping him from feeling pain so that he could make it to the island."

"Severus, I am sure you have a proper potion that can help Harry to regain his magic," Pomfrey said. "Do you suppose you can alter it to where it would still work but it can be ingested by a small bird?"

"I will see what I can do," Snape replied.

"Very well then I suppose that is all we can do for now. If you need anything else then don't hesitate to floo call me Severus," Pomfrey said.

"We will leave you now, Severus," Dumbledore said. "Keep me updated on Harry's progress in regaining his magic and let me know when he transforms back."

"Yes Headmaster."

"Also it would be a good idea for you to let me know if Voldemort," Snape flinched, "contacts you again."

"I know that, Albus," said Snape. "_He_ has not yet contacted me since Lucius paid me a visit."

Dumbledore nodded. "I am sure Harry's familiar will keep Harry fed so that he can regain his strength quicker," he said. He glanced at Hedwig as if to ask her and the owl chirped an affirmative in reply.

"All right, we will take our leave now. Good evening, Severus," Dumbledore said before he, Pomfrey and McGonagall left Snape's office.

Snape examined Hedwig and Harry for a long moment. "I suppose I will have to find a suitable place for you two to stay, Potter," he said. He winced slightly before clasping his forearm and Harry cooed in surprise.

"That will have to wait, Potter. Stay in this office and I will be back as soon as I can," Snape said through gritted teeth before he got to his feet and walked quickly out of the room.

Harry hopped off of the desk before hopping to the doorframe in time to see Snape finishing putting on the Death Eater robes and mask that he remembered seeing in the graveyard at the end of last year. Hedwig was at his side also watching the scene until Snape disappeared into the green flames.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: I warned you this was an extremely AU story**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup it is and sorry this was such a short chapter. Also, the potion that was requested by Pomfrey is something I made up because I'm not sure if it's actually used so don't flame me for that, PLEASE!**

**Darth: I like it**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

Severus walked over to join the ring of Death Eaters that surrounded Voldemort as the dark lord paced among them, looking deep in thought. The dark lord knew that his Death Eaters were there but he didn't say anything although Severus could tell by his posture that he was angry.

_That could only mean one thing,_ Severus thought grimly. True to his thought, Voldemort cast the Crucatious curse on all of his Death Eaters

"I want an update on the search for the boy," Voldemort demanded turning crimson eyes to his Death Eaters as he lifted the curse.

"The two animals that left the household after the wards fell were identified as an owl and a dove," Lucius told the dark lord after moving forward and falling to his knees before the dark lord. "We weren't able to follow them, however, since we are only basing these guesses on what I overheard from the conversation between Dumbledore and the Order members."

"Where is it likely they will go?" Voldemort demanded angrily.

"I do not know, my lord."

"_Crucio_."

Severus watched as Lucius writhed in pain from the Unforgivable that was thrown at him, he, like the others, was still recovering from the first bout of the Unforgivable.

"Who here knows where the Potter brat is likely to go?" Voldemort demanded.

"He may go to Hogwarts, my Lord," Severus put in smoothly as he moved forward to kneel beside the dark lord, deciding that he would only get tortured more if he didn't step forward.

"Do you know something more, Severus?" Voldemort demanded angrily, his wand flipping around in his hand.

"I do know that Lucius is right that the Potter brat has turned into a dove and flew out of the Dursley household with his familiar. I don't know if they have as of yet reached Hogwarts although it is likely that they have made it to the Forbidden Forest by now at the least," Severus lied easily his occluded mind prevented the dark lord from discovering that part of what he said was a lie.

"What of Dumbledore and the wards?"

"Dumbledore cannot repair the wards unless the Boy-Who-Lived returns to his relatives and since no one knows were the boy is, he cannot do anything."

"And the brat's relatives?"

"From what Dumbledore told me, they went on a vacation although I do not know where."

"So the boy might be near the Forbidden Forest by now."

"That is if he was not injured along the way."

"Do you think the boy is injured?" There was an excited gleam in Voldemort's eyes as if he was looking forward to finding an injured Harry Potter to toy with.

"No, my lord," Severus replied feeling positively sickened by what he had a feeling the dark lord was thinking of doing. He may not like the Potter brat but he was sworn to protect him and he was Potter's godfather after all, not that the dark lord needed to know that.

"Has Dumbledore informed you of any plan concerning finding the boy?"

Severus shook his head. "No my lord," he said.

"_Crucio!_"

Severus collapsed on the ground as the curse slammed into his body but he didn't scream in pain, he was used to it after the two years he spent in Voldemort's services before he became a spy and another year in his service as a spy. Voldemort lifted the curse after a few minutes and Severus moved back to join the rank of Death Eaters his body burning with pain.

"Bellatrix, you and Gregory will go to the Forbidden Forest and see if you can find the Potter brat," Voldemort ordered. "Lucius, see if you can find any useful information from the Ministry. Severus, return to Hogwarts and try and find out more information concerning Potter from Dumbledore." With that, the dark lord apparated away and the Death Eaters were left to start their duties.

Severus, his body screaming in protest, walked over to the floo before calling for his quarters and disappearing through the green flames, nearly collapsing when he exited the fireplace. _Accio_'ing the potion he had created to counteract the Crucatious curse and taking it in one big gulp, Severus walked back into his office.

He spotted Potter still up and watching him with green eyes that reminded him so much of Lily even though they were on the body of a dove. "You're still up?" he sneered. "I would have thought you would have fallen asleep like your familiar." He gestured toward where Potter's familiar was fast asleep.

Potter merely tipped his head to one side before hopping across the desk, cooing.

"In all honesty, Potter, I really do wish I could understand what you are saying," Severus muttered. "It would save me from having to guess each time you try to speak."

Potter cooed angrily.

Severus sneered back at Potter before he glanced at the snowy owl. "It looks like your familiar is quite comfortable where she is," he said. "Would you prefer to stay on my desk near your familiar?"

Potter cooed an affirmative before he sat down beside his sleeping familiar although he continued to watch Severus. Severus sneered at him before he walked out of the office to make his way to his rooms to rest.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore sat behind his desk before sighing as he examined his familiar, Fawkes. "I wonder how Severus is doing with Harry," he mused and Fawkes merely chirped in reply before glancing at the fireplace as it flared to life and Severus stepped into the open.<p>

It was now morning and the sun's light surged through the windows of Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore noticed that Severus didn't look so well although his impassive face made it difficult for the Headmaster to see how he was really feeling.

"Good morning, Severus," he greeted him. "Lemon drop?"

"No thanks, Albus," Severus said politely. "You told me to tell you if the dark lord contacted me and I would have come yesterday."

"He used an Unforgivable?"

Severus nodded once.

"Understandable. So what news do you have for me?"

"_He _knows that Potter is in the form of a dove and I told them that he may be near the Forbidden Forest by now so he sent Bellatrix and Gregory Goyle Sr. to check it out although they aren't likely to get close to the wards. Lucius was sent back to the Ministry so see if they had any information and I was sent back here. He still doesn't think that I am watching Potter, just as you thought."

Dumbledore nodded. "That will have to do for now," he said. "I take it he isn't too happy."

"To put it mildly."

"Well, I suppose we will need to talk about some other stuff concerning the school," Dumbledore said. "School will be starting in less than a month now and the Ministry still thinks young Harry is lying about Voldemort's return."

"The Ministry are a bunch of fools, Albus. I am sure they are either too scared to believe it or Lucius is twisting their minds into believing the dark lord has not yet returned," Severus sneered.

"Yes and the Ministry also wishes to have someone in their ranks within Hogwarts. They have requested that I hire Dolores Umbridge to be our new DADA professor."

"Really? Umbridge?"

"Well, we cannot find another teacher in such a short time."

The look Severus gave Dumbledore could have melted rock.

"Severus, you know that that position is what the students of Hogwarts call cursed, look what happened with all the other DADA professors. First Quirrel who was harboring the dark lord, then Lockhart who Obliviated his own memory and so many others. I know that you would do well in this position but you are doing well as a Potions Professor for now."

"Really, Headmaster?" Severus's lips curled. "Is that the only excuse you can come up with? You know I can do this job much better than Umbridge. Bloody hell, a toad could do a better job than anyone from the Ministry."

"Yes, I know this Severus," Dumbledore said. "But we will have to deal with it. The Ministry was insistent and since the DADA is the only position not yet filled…" he didn't finish his statement although he knew that Severus knew what he was going to say.

"Headmaster, even after all these years, you still find it in yourself to surprise me," Severus said with a long sigh. "What will we do with Potter if he does not regain his human form by the time school starts? It is likely that Weasley and Granger will notice immediately if Potter is absent."

"I will have Molly Weasley inform Mr. Weasley of the current predicament so that they won't be worried and he can inform Miss. Granger," Dumbledore said. "Molly and Arthur are honorary members of the Order, after all, and some of her elder children are looking into joining the Order."

"Merlin help us if the Weasley twins join," Severus muttered under his breath although Dumbledore heard him say that.

"Well, the children are going to be returning soon, Severus, so we will need to get ready for them. For now, I am going to pay Hagrid a visit and take a peek at what is happening at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. We need to make sure that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are not getting too close to the school."

Severus nodded.

"I suggest you return to watching Harry, Severus," Dumbledore added.

Severus nodded before he turned his attention back to the fireplace. "I still think you're making a big mistake inviting Umbridge to teach here," he said before he disappeared through the flames and Dumbledore sighed, he couldn't help but agree with his spy.

* * *

><p>Harry woke up late in the morning and he found himself hungry. He gazed around as he spotted Hedwig fly to his side before placing something in front of him. \<em>It make not look appetizing but it's what birds, like doves, eat,<em>/ she chirped.

Harry examined the food before eating it, grimacing at the taste before he glanced at Hedwig. \_How long am I going to be like this?_/ He asked.

\_The human healer said that you will not be able to turn back until you've built up your magical strength again. You used a lot of your magic just trying to stay in the air after your wing was broken by that human Vernon,_/ Hedwig replied.

Harry grimaced. \_That means I'm going to be stuck like this for quite a while,_/ he muttered. _And that also meant I'm going to be stuck with Snape until I return to my original form._

After hearing everything Snape had told him, and knowing that Hedwig trusted him, Harry found himself disliking Snape much less than before. He understood that Snape was risking his life by spying on the dark lord and he found that to be very brave, very brave indeed.

Hedwig glanced at him. \_Can you stretch out your wing?_/ She hooted quietly.

Harry gingerly stretched out his wing but no pain went through him and he stretched out both his wings before slowly flapping them. He found himself in the air but he wasn't falling and he realized that his wing was healed enough to where he could fly if he wanted to.

\_It's better_,/ he said.

\_Don't be too sure about that,_/ Hedwig warned him. \_You can easily injure it again so I suggest you keep the flying to a minimum._/

\_I thought birds were supposed to fly_./

\_They are unless they happen to be stubborn boys that turn into birds who won't rest until they are completely healed like a certain boy I know,_/ Hedwig chirped in reply.

Harry, if he could, would have scowled at his familiar but Hedwig merely hooted and chirped in amusement.

Snape walked into the office at that moment before examining them. "Good, you're up," he said before he walked to sit at his desk before he placed a tiny vial on the table. "It took me a while but I managed to alter the potion Poppy wanted me to give you so that you can take it in your dove form."

Harry really wasn't looking forward to taking a potion, since they all seemed to taste nasty, but he knew that it would help to replenish his lost magic. He moved forward as Snape filled a dropper with the potion. "Since you're such a small bird, I'll have to do it this way in order for you to get the potion and not spill any of it," he said.

Harry resisted the urge to snort but nodded slowly before opening his beak and Snape put the dropper in before the potion fell down his throat. It tasted nasty but Harry quickly swallowed it to avoid spitting it back up, that wouldn't bode well with Snape.

"I will have to do that for quite a while until your magic is strong enough for you to change back," Snape said as if reminding Harry.

Harry nodded. For once, he really wished he could communicate with Snape to thank him for his help but all he could do was coo and chirp like a bird and Snape couldn't understand him.

He found himself wondering if it were possible for birds to write.

Hedwig chirped in amusement. \_I have a feeling I know where your thoughts are going, Harry, and I don't think it's possible,_/ she hooted

\_Well, I'd like to thank Snape somehow and I can't wait until I regain human form,_/ Harry cooed back.

Hedwig chirped in amusement again.

Snape just watched with exchange with an expressionless look in his obsidian eyes although Harry had the oddest feeling that Snape was quietly amused by the conversation that was going on between them.

Harry turned his gaze to Snape. \_I really wish I could thank him,_/ he cooed to his familiar.

\_I'm sure you do, he did rescue you and healed your broken wing,_/ Hedwig hooted back.

Snape snorted. "If you're thinking of a way to thank me, Potter, then don't bother, I did what I had to do," he said.

Harry wondered if Snape did have the ability to read his mind.

Hedwig chirped. \_Even if he could, I doubt he would be able to read the mind of a bird, even one that was once a human,_/ she said.

Harry cooed in amusement although he wondered how Hedwig knew what he was thinking.

Snape sneered slightly. "I'd best be getting back to my duties," he said. "And your friends are likely to find out about this too since Dumbledore is planning on telling Molly Weasley about what happened."

Harry blinked surprised. He had completely forgotten about his friends ever since he turned into a dove. He glanced at Hedwig. \_I wonder how they will take it,_/ he cooed.

Hedwig shook her head before fluffing her feathers slightly. \_Who knows how humans take anything?_/ She replied.

Harry couldn't help but agree with that as he watched Snape disappear back into his chambers.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Darth: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: Ron and Hermione going to Grimmauld's Place, their and Sirius and Remus's reactions to what happened to Harry, and Umbridge make an appearance**

**Darth: I thought Umbridge didn't make an appearance until the first breakfast of the new year.**

**Blaze: well I decided she would have to be introduced to the teachers first so I figured I'd do that in the next chapter. Oh and Sirius was cleared of all charges before this story started**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: yup please review and once again this is extremely AU so no flames if nothing is like it is in canon, it's not supposed to be, the next chapter will be posted soon**


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

"Where exactly are we going, Mum?" Ron Weasley asked as he and his friend, Hermione Granger, followed his mother, Molly Weasley, toward the fireplace that would transport them someplace that Molly wouldn't tell Ron or Hermione about.

"It's about time you found out about something," she replied softly. "Besides, it has something to do with Harry."

Hermione's eyes grew worried. "Is he all right?" she asked.

"All will be explained soon but first we need to get to Grimmauld's Place," Molly replied before she arrived at the fireplace. "I trust you've traveled by floo before, Miss. Granger."

"Yes," Hermione replied.

Molly nodded. "All right then go first, just toss down the floo powder and say Grimmauld's Place," she said.

Hermione nodded before she picked up the powder, walked into the fireplace, tossed down the floo powder and said, "Grimmauld's Place," before the green flames consumed her and she was gone.

"Ronald, you next and I will be right behind you," Molly said and Ron nodded before he flooed to Grimmauld's Place with Molly just behind him.

"This place looks rundown," Ron commented as he dusted himself off and walked over to join Hermione as Molly came to a stop behind him.

"Well, it's what I call home," a familiar voice said and Ron and Hermione both glanced up as Sirius Black walked into the room. "Welcome, Mrs. Weasley, Dumbledore and the others are already waiting," he added to Molly who nodded.

"Dumbledore said he had something important to tell us but he wanted to wait until Harry's friends joined us," Sirius said before he led the way into the conference room and Ron, feeling worried, followed him with Hermione just behind him.

Dumbledore glanced up. "Ah welcome Miss. Granger, Mr. Weasley and Molly," he greeted them before he gestured toward the table. "Take a seat, we have much to talk about."

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked as she sat down beside Ron who was sitting beside Fred, George and his father. Ron found himself wondering the same thing but he stayed silent.

"That is actually why I called you all here," Dumbledore admitted. "Minerva, Tonks and I have discovered something about Mr. Potter that we feel you should all know, it is something that happened recently."

"And what is this?" Molly asked, her voice was clear with her worry.

"Accidental magic occurred at his residency," Dumbledore explained. "And we were alerted ahead of time about it so we went to investigate only to discover that Harry had transformed himself into a dove and flew away with his familiar, I believe her name is Hedwig."

"He transformed himself into a dove?" Sirius exclaimed his eyes going wide. "I always thought he would be an animagus because his father was one but I didn't think his animagus would be a dove."

"He is one of the very few animagi who's animagus form is not the same as his Patronus sign," Dumbledore said.

"But why did he transform?" Ron blurted out suddenly.

"Only Harry can answer that and right now, the only one that, it appears, can understand him is his familiar," Dumbledore replied. "I had Madame Pomfrey and Minerva examine him and they have determined that he will be unable to transform back until he regains his magical strength since he used much of it to fly on a broken wing to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest."

"All the way there?" Hermione gasped brown eyes filled with shock.

"That's amazing," Sirius whispered. "Can I see him?" He asked hopefully.

"No, I am afraid not, Padfoot," Dumbledore said. "For I fear Voldemort knows that Harry is in the form of a dove and we cannot risk bringing him out of the safety of Hogwarts. That is why he is staying where he currently is until he transforms back."

"Where is he?" Molly asked.

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment before glancing at Sirius. "I want you to hear me out, Padfoot, before you go critical and please restrain yourself from yelling too much," he said.

"Why?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Promise me."

"Fine, I promise now where is he?"

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment. "He is in the care of Severus," he said.

Sirius's eyes filled with shock and Ron could tell that he was struggling to keep himself from yelling since he had promised Dumbledore. Ron, however, did not.

"Are you crazy?" He exclaimed ignoring the angry glares his parents were tossing at him for taking such a tone with the Headmaster. "You're actually leaving him in the care of that greasy git!"

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly snapped sharply. "Severus is an honorary member of this select group of witches and wizards."

Dumbledore nodded. "Alas, Molly is correct, Mr. Weasley, Severus Snape is a member of this group, which I call the Order of the Phoenix, and I trust him to watch over Harry until he can transform back," he said.

"Why can't he stay here?" Hermione protested. "Even if Snape is a member of this Order of the Phoenix as you called it, why is Harry staying with him?"

Dumbledore glanced at the woman Ron figured was Tonks who was sitting at his side. Apparently McGonagall was back at Hogwarts. "I believe they should know the truth but I believe Severus should tell them himself," he said.

"So long as they do not reveal what they have learned," Tonks replied. "That would jeopardize everything."

"Of course, I will contact Severus immediately and have him floo on over, perhaps with Harry and Harry's familiar if he can."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances with each other in excitement at the thought of seeing their friend even if Snape had to be here as well.

* * *

><p>Severus, who had just allowed Potter and Potter's familiar to fly through the window, that had been installed to allow Potter and his familiar some air time, after going hunting and flying around to exercise Potter's wing, glanced up as Albus's head stuck through the green flames. "What now, Albus?" he asked curtly watching as Potter and the owl flew toward Dumbledore cooing, chirping and hooting a greeting to the Headmaster's head.<p>

Albus chuckled. "Now, now, this is most uncomfortable. I have come to ask if you would come to Grimmauld's Place, Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley are worried about Mr. Potter and seem concerned about me placing him in your care. I thought you could shed some light on the situation," he said.

"Bloody hell. Are you planning on having me tell every bloody witch and wizard in London about my status?" Severus demanded angrily.

"Certainly not, Severus," Albus said sounding shocked. "I assure you, Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger will not be comfortable with you having young Harry in your possession unless they knew the truth."

"Why should I care about what those Gryffindors thinks?"

"Because, technically speaking, you are Harry's temporary guardian until he can transform back."

"And so that makes it all right for teenagers to know something that they will not understand yet?"

"Of course not, I was hoping they would be much older before they discovered the Order but recent events has forced me to alter my plans," Albus replied. "Will you please come over, Severus? This is starting to give me a kink in my neck."

Severus scowled. "Fine, I'll be right over," he said before he glanced up at where Potter and his familiar were still flying around above his head. "Potter, I said to exercise your wing, not risk breaking it again," he snapped.

Potter cooed angrily back at him.

"I haven't the slightest clue as to what you just said but don't take that tone with me, Potter!"

Albus chuckled. "We'll have to find you something that can help you understand Harry so that you won't be in the dark every time he tries to talk to you," he said.

Severus scowled but watched as Potter and his familiar spiraled downward before landing on Severus's shoulders. "This is not going to be a common thing," Severus sneered at Potter who merely tipped his small head to one side and cooed, amusement in his voice.

Albus, his eyes twinkling with amusement, laughed before disappearing through the green flames and Severus, sighing, floo traveled quickly to Grimmauld's Place.

"Is that really him?" Granger gasped as she pushed herself to her feet and walked over to join Severus. "Oh, hello Professor Snape," she added almost as an afterthought Severus noticed.

"Miss. Granger," Severus said while Potter cooed loudly and happily. It just happened that his beak was right next to the Potion Professor's ear. "Must you do that so loudly, Potter?" he snapped.

Potter cooed happily as if to say yes.

Severus growled.

Potter spread his wings and started flying around the place with his familiar at his side keeping him from using his newly healed wing too much. Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes in exasperation. "We really need to find that spell, Albus," he said to Dumbledore. "I find it hard to say anything to Potter without him gazing at me as if I was crazy."

"You're not the crazy one in this room, Severus," Tonks murmured with a pointed glance at Albus and Severus's lips quirked. He had to agree with Tonks on that.

"You said Snape would explain why he is watching over Harry, Professor Dumbledore?" Ron said.

"It's Professor Snape, Ron," Hermione said.

Ron was about to protest but clearly saw it would not be a good idea seeing as Severus was still in the room. "Yeah, well, you know what I meant," he said.

Severus sneered but didn't say anything.

Sirius glared at Severus. "I still don't like Albus's decision on this, Snivellous," he snapped.

"Stop calling me that," Severus snarled, obsidian eyes flaring with anger.

"Well I don't trust you with my godson."

Severus growled, wanting nothing more than to inform the former Marauder that he was Potter's godfather as well, even if it was unofficial. That was what probably stopped him from saying so.

"It is the best place for him, Padfoot, and you know it is," Albus said.

"Yes I do," said Sirius. "I don't have to like it though."

"But why?" Ron asked. "Why would staying with S…Professor Snape be the best thing for Harry?"

"Simple," Severus said curtly. "The dark lord would never believe that I would personally watch over Potter." That much was true. Perhaps he could get away with part of the lie.

"Why have you always hated Harry?" Hermione asked. Damn Know-It-All!

"Just tell them, Severus," Albus said. "They are going to find out sooner or later after all."

Severus growled at the meddlesome old wizard. "Must I?" he asked.

"They will only understand if you explain everything to them, Severus."

Severus glowered angrily. "Very well," he said curtly. He turned his obsidian gaze to Potter's friends. "First, I insist that you two swear a Wizard's Oath to not reveal anything that you hear here today for that could prove disastrous for the war effort."

Ron and Hermione hesitated. "I don't know," they began.

"Unless you don't want to know the truth," Severus said silkily. "Because I do not have all day, I have classes to prepare for and two birds to take care of."

"No, I want to know why Professor Snape hates Harry so much," Hermione said.

"So do I actually," Ron agreed. With Albus watching, the two soon to be fifth years swore a Wizard's Oath to not reveal what they are about to hear to anyone.

"Very well," Severus said once the oath was made. "To say the least, I do not hate Potter."

"What?" Hermione echoed sounding surprised. "But the way you treat him…?"

"…Is, for the most part, an act," Severus replied. He was silent for a moment before adding, "I had no intention of you finding out about this whatsoever but Professor Dumbledore…" he tossed a glare at Albus, "…insisted that I tell you now. Why, I have not the slightest clue."

"What do you mean it's an act?" Ron asked turning back to the subject at hand.

"It's an act because I have been working for the Order of the Phoenix as a spy in the dark lord's inner circle ever since just before he was vanquished when Potter was a baby," Severus replied. "So what better place for Potter to be than with a member of the dark lord's inner circle who supposedly hates him with a passion?"

"That makes sense actually," Hermione said looking surprised.

Severus glared at Albus. "Now that that's over with, Albus," he said curtly. "I'd best be getting back. Potter!"

Potter flew down before landing on Severus's shoulder while the familiar landed on his other shoulder. Without glancing once at Black or Potter's friends, Severus floo traveled quickly back to his chambers.

* * *

><p>Albus sighed as the new school year began to approach although he wasn't looking forward to seeing his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher arrive for the staff meeting before school began. Severus, as always, was sitting in the shadows and was as silent as ever.<p>

"How are Harry and his familiar?" Albus asked. A full week had gone by since Harry had turned himself into a dove and they were still no closer to turning him back into a human.

"His magical strength is growing stronger with each day although the potion, because I had to alter it, is taking a bit longer than usual," Severus replied.

"He is all right though, right?" Minerva asked.

"Of course," Severus sneered. "Potter and his familiar have been keeping each other constant company and at least Potter isn't throwing death glares at me anymore."

"Did he really do that?" Pomona asked.

"Well, at first," Severus admitted and Albus knew that he was referring to when Harry learned of Severus's status in the war. "Oddly, he seems quite comfortable in the dungeons nowadays."

Minerva frowned. "Well he is a very nice boy," she said.

"'e is," Hagrid, who was also apart of the staff meeting, said a bit cheerfully. "Glad you finally see that, Profes'or Snape."

Severus sneered. "That boy is a nuisance at best," he said, more to keep his cover than anything, Albus noticed. In truth, Severus was quite relaxed around Harry and Albus noticed that, although Severus would probably refuse to admit it, he actually liked being around Harry and Harry's familiar.

"Where is the new DADA professor?" Professor Flitwick asked curiously.

"She said that she was going to be a bit late," said Minerva.

Albus nodded before glancing up as the door opened up and Dolores Umbridge, a chubby short elder woman with red hair, walked into the office. "Good morning, I am so glad that you waited for me," she said smoothly as she walked into the office. She took a seat in between Pomona and Minerva before turning her small eyes to Albus. "I look forward to teaching the new students in their DADA class."

"You do know what that class entitles you to teach them, do you not?"

Dolores smiled. "Of course I do," she said. "But I find there is no need for these children to learn anything for there is no threat against them."

Albus could tell Severus was resisting the urge to snort and glower at the new DADA teacher since Severus knew for a fact that there was a threat to the school. "So you do not believe that the dark lord has returned?" he asked smoothly.

"It's just a nasty rumor that has been spread to frighten everyone in the Ministry," Dolores replied.

Severus tossed a 'and you want her to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts,' glare at Albus. It was clear the Potions Professor was still angry that Albus had bypassed him to give the DADA position to Umbridge when it was clear Severus would better prepare the students to go against the dark lord.

"Well, to each their own," Albus said smiling, his eyes twinkling. "The Hogwarts letters have already been sent and so the students who are going to attend are likely going to start getting their stuff soon. The students will return at the beginning of September, which is three weeks away."

"Is the infamous Harry Potter going to be here?" Dolores asked curiously.

Albus, Severus and Minerva exchanged quick glances with each other. "He has as of yet to reply to his letter," Albus lied smoothly. It wasn't much of a lie; a dove couldn't reply to a letter. "But I am confident that he will be joining us for his fifth year."

Dolores nodded although it was clear she wasn't too happy. Albus knew that the Ministry knew that Harry had been the one to start the so-called 'rumor' about Voldemort, even though it was clear that the rumors were true.

"Well, I very much look forward to meeting Mr. Harry Potter," said Dolores.

"I suppose so," Albus said. "Well, I shall leave you to your work. I understand that you have classes to prepare for so I will not keep you. Severus, Minerva, stay for a moment however."

Severus and Minerva nodded and the other teachers got to their feet before saying their goodbyes and parted. Albus glanced at Severus almost as soon as the other teachers disappeared. "What is Harry's current predicament after Poppy checked on him?" he asked after he cast a Silencing spell over the office just in case someone was eavesdropping. He knew that Poppy had examined Harry just before the staff meeting.

"Poppy looked at him and said that he is recovering his magic quite rapidly but it will still take a few weeks before he's strong enough to transform back," Severus replied.

"That is if he wants to transform back," Minerva added. "Most animagi will not transform back into their human form unless they truly want to. That is the key to transforming when you are animagi."

Albus pursed his lips together in thought. "I suppose we will have to see if we can convince him that it's necessary for him to return to his human form. Voldemort will not stop until Harry is caught and that means it would be better if Harry can defend himself and he can't do that while he's a dove," he said.

"I doubt that Severus will be able to convince Harry to do anything since Harry can't reply to him," Minerva said.

"That is why we will need to place a spell on both of them so that they will be able to understand each other without having to resort to other means of communication."

Minerva glanced at Severus. "Like Severus will understand doves and be able to communicate with Harry that way?" she asked.

Albus nodded. "It's a complex spell and will wear off within three weeks time, hopefully then Harry will be back in his human form," he said before he glanced at Severus. "That is, of course, if you are willing, Severus."

Severus sneered. "I suppose I have no other choice," he said curtly. "It won't be long before the dark lord senses something suspicious, especially if Potter does not return to Hogwarts. If the dark lord so much as suspects I may be harboring Potter, he will not be very lenient. The sooner I can convince Potter to resume his human form the better, for both of us."

"Understood, Severus." Albus pulled out his wand before pointing it at Severus and murmured a complex spell beneath his breath, his wand glowed a bluish green and the light swarmed around his Potions Professor.

"I suggest that you go and test the spell out," Albus said once the spell was cast. "Remember, it will last three weeks. You must convince Harry to resume his human form, once he's strong enough, by then."

"I know, Albus," Severus said curtly before he stood up and walked out of the office, his black cloak billowing out behind him.

"Do you suppose he will be able to convince Harry to do this?" Minerva asked.

Albus smiled. "I have my utmost confidence in Severus," he replied.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 6 and I hope that you liked it**

**Darth: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: it will focus primarily on Harry and Severus**

**Darth: that isn't much help**

**Blaze: that's the point, it also has Hedwig's point of view tossed in there**

**Darth: why?**

**Blaze: cause Hedwig's an awesome owl**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 7 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon.**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

Harry glanced up as Snape walked into the office before spreading his wings and flying over to join him. He glanced at Hedwig where the owl was dozing on the windowsill of the magical window that allowed Snape to see ever changing scenes. Snape sat down in his lounge chair in the living room of his chambers before his obsidian eyes examined Harry for a long moment thoughtfully.

\_What happened?_/ Harry cooed forgetting that Snape couldn't understand him.

Snape started before narrowing his eyes. "Professor Dumbledore introduced us to your new DADA professor this year, Professor Umbridge from the Ministry," he said.

Harry's eyes shot wide with shock. \_You understood me?_/ he exclaimed in surprise.

"No need to look so surprised, Potter. Dumbledore cast a spell on me that will enable me to understand what you are saying while you are in your dove form," said Snape.

\_Well then, I would like to say thank you for healing me,_/ Harry cooed.

Snape snorted. "I told you not to thank me, I am only doing what I have to," he retorted.

\_But you lied to Malfoy even though you knew I was here,_/ Harry protested.

"Potter, did I not tell you of my status?"

\_What does that have to do with anything?_/

"Everything. I could not, very well, tell Malfoy I had you if I was supposed to be getting information for the Order. If I had told Malfoy of your location then I would have been unable to get more information for the Order."

\_I don't get it._/

Snape let out a despairing sigh. "I also swore a vow to your mother to protect you," he added.

Harry's eyes went wide with surprise. \_You did?_/ He cooed. He paused for a moment and when Snape nodded once in reply, he asked, \_May I ask you a question?_/

Snape nodded.

\_Well, I've been wondering about what happened at the graveyard at the end of the year after the Triwizard Tournament, when Voldemort returned. If you were a Death Eater than where you there?_/

Snape shook his head. "Technically speaking, I am spying on the Order for the dark lord, although, in reality, it's the other way around and the dark lord knew I could not reveal myself by going to his side. Besides, he only called a select few of his inner circle to his side that night," he replied.

\_I don't get it but I'll take your word on it,_/ Harry cooed.

Snape snorted. "Potter, it's awfully difficult to explain," he said coolly. "The dark lord is not pleased right now, I know that much. He wants you more than anything but he cannot find you since I am watching over you."

\_Is there a chance he will find out you are hiding me?_/ Harry asked.

"Not if we can get you back to your human form. It will look suspicious if you do not come back to Hogwarts at the start of term and then the dark lord will seek to find out who is hiding him. And there is a chance he may discover it's me. The dark lord is not stupid."

Harry swallowed. \_You're in danger than. And I cannot figure out how to change back,_/ he cooed softly.

"Poppy and Minerva said that you have to want to turn back in order to turn back," Snape replied.

Harry frowned. \_I actually like being a dove,_/ he said.

"Yes but don't you wish to return to your human form and rejoin your friends rather than stay in the dungeons with the 'greasy git' as your friend Ron calls me?" Snape asked.

Harry, if he could, would have flushed. \_He called you that?_/ he cooed in surprise.

"Oh don't bother on trying to deny it, you've been calling me that since first year, you just never knew I knew. That is beside the point, however; I am sure you would rather be with your friends and family than me."

Harry hesitated. In truth, he would rather be with Ron and Hermione rather than Snape but Snape treated him much better than he was treated at the Dursleys. He actually healed Harry's broken wing, gave him a place to stay, and made sure he was fed. Snape was already better at taking care of him than his guardians ever were.

_\Here is much better than at home with the Dursleys,_/ Harry murmured before he remembered that Snape could understand him.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "Don't like your relatives? Probably because you're too spoiled to understand what it is they do for you," he sneered.

Harry flinched and anger flared in his eyes. How dare Snape accuse him of being spoiled? \_I am not spoiled,_/ he flared angrily back at Snape. \_In fact, I barely get fed as it is and hardly get anything. If you want a spoiled kid then look at my cousin Dudley! At least he actually got a room for the first eleven years of his life!_/

Realizing what he had just said and the memory of his uncle's rules rushing back into his mind, Harry's shut up, his eyes filling with horror, hoping that Snape hadn't heard him.

Unfortunately, Snape had. "What are you talking about?" He demanded although it was clear he was in shock and was merely using his anger to hide the surprise he was feeling.

\_No, I…I didn't mean anything that I said,_/ Harry gasped out horror glittering in his green eyes.

"Potter, you did mean what you had said," Snape said slowly but firmly. "If you did not mean it then you would not have said it. I know you are the type of boy that would not lie about something as serious as this."

\_No, it's true, I'm sorry I lied but I just didn't want you to call me spoiled so I lied about it,_/ Harry stammered out horrified at what he had done. Oh when he returned to the Dursleys, he was in for it now.

Snape's black eyes narrowed. "Potter…" he began.

_\I'm sorry I lied, Professor!_/ Harry cried, fear lacing his voice although he tried to keep it away, and he spread his wings before taking off into the sky and flying out of the window that had been installed to allow him and Hedwig to take their nightly flights to exercise his wings.

"Potter!" Snape shouted but Harry, too afraid by what he had done to listen, ignored the shouted command and merely struggled to fly away from the school.

* * *

><p>Severus found himself quickly hurrying out of the dungeons with Harry's familiar on his arm. He had to find Potter, if Potter flew beyond the wards then he would be easy prey for Voldemort and his Death Eaters. <em>Why was he so afraid? Why did he keep insisting that he was lying when his fear clearly said that he wasn't? Why didn't I see it before?<em> Severus thought.

The way Potter spoke when he yelled at him clearly conveyed how much he truly believed his own words and the fear that glittered in his eyes when he quickly took back those words only added to the sincerity behind them. Severus had to get to the bottom of this, he had to figure out if what Potter had told him was the truth.

And in order to do that, he had to find Potter before the boy, er dove, got beyond the wards.

"Severus, what's going on?" Pomona asked when Severus nearly ran into her, too distracted with his thoughts to notice.

"Potter, he left the dungeons without his familiar and he's heading straight for the wards. He left afraid so I don't know if he'll even notice if he crosses the wards," Severus said. "Tell the Headmaster, Pomona."

Pomona, her eyes wide, nodded before she quickly hurried toward Dumbledore's tower while Severus and Potter's familiar hurried out into the courtyard. Severus held out his arm. "Find Potter," he said.

The snowy owl didn't need to be told twice. She spread her wings and quickly flew in the direction of the Forbidden Forest and Severus, swearing to himself, hurried after her. The owl weaved her way out of the courtyard and waited for Severus, who had to take the longer way, before hooting and flying rapidly parallel with the forest.

_So he isn't in the forest but that means there are plenty of other places he could bypass the wards,_ Severus thought as he hurried after the snowy owl.

"Severus, what's the rush?" Hagrid called out from where he was sitting on the stone steps of his hut.

"No time for that, Hagrid," Severus grunted as he ran past the hut. "Potter left the dungeons and there's a chance that his wing isn't ready for long term flight." All staff members, except Umbridge, knew about Potter's predicament and Albus insisted on keeping it that way, there was no point in Umbridge knowing about Potter at the moment.

"I'll 'elp you find 'Arry, Severus," Hagrid said getting to his feet.

"Quickly then," Severus said when he heard loud chirping coming from a spot just beyond the wards of Hogwarts. "He just passed the wards."

With Hagrid only a few steps behind him, Severus ran toward the wards before bypassing them, his wand sliding into his hand from the sheath he kept on his arm, his eyes constantly looking for danger as well as Harry's familiar.

Hagrid came after him, crossbow in hand and he too was looking all over the place. Severus saw Potter's familiar circling an area beside the water at the edge of the forest and he and Hagrid jogged over to it.

The snowy owl hooted in concern as she landed beside a gray dove that was lying on the ground. Severus knelt down beside the dove before stretching out a hand and touching the dove's wings, immediately seeing that it was, at the very least, dislocated. "Stupid boy," Severus growled. "His wing was too weak to be able to fly this far before it gave out on him."

"'Arry hit the ground hard, Severus," Hagrid said. He stretched out a large hand and gently touched the wing. "Yeah, it's dislocated but not broken."

"Stupid boy," Severus muttered again as he placed his wand on the wing and murmured a quick spell under his breath. He gazed around, still feeling as though something was going on, feeling as though someone was watching him. No one was this close to Hogwarts but Severus had to be careful, there was no telling of Bellatrix and Gregory would still be at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

"Hagrid, take Potter back to my quarters, the owl should be able to show you there," Severus murmured still feeling as though someone was watching him. If he wasn't careful then there was a chance that his secret could be blown.

Hagrid nodded before gently lifting Harry the dove into his hand. "Come 'long, Hedwig, let's get 'Arry back to Snape's quarters," he said before he turned around and hurried away with the owl, Hedwig, flying over him. Once they got past the wards, Severus stood up before gazing around and, once he was sure that no one was around him after casting a quick spell, he walked back through the wards before heading directly back into the school.

He neared his dungeons to find Hagrid standing there. "Anything out there?" the giant asked.

"No, I checked before I came back inside," Severus replied before he held out a hand.

Hagrid gently placed Potter into it. "I tried to keep 'is wing from movin' but 'Arry woke up earlier and wouldn't stop movin'."

Severus nodded before glancing at the dove as he struggled. "Stop that, Potter," he snapped. "You are only going to make your wing worse."

Hagrid knew that animals could understand humans when they spoke but he didn't know that Severus could also understand what Potter says should he reply. Potter gazed up at him as he continued to struggle. \_I'm sorry, I'm sorry,_/ he continued to coo in despair and fear as he struggled.

"Thank you for your help, Hagrid," Severus said to Hagrid who nodded once before walking away and Severus turned his attention to the Slytherin portrait. "Lily," he said before stepping through the portrait into his chambers.

"Stop struggling, Potter, you'll injure your wing again," Severus snapped but Potter continued to struggle, cooing \_I'm sorry,_/ constantly.

"Potter!" Severus barked sharply.

Potter gave a start before his green eyes blinked rapidly up at Snape. \_Professor?_/ He cooed worriedly although his voice was still filled with fear.

"Potter, what were you thinking?" Severus demanded. "You could have been killed had you ended up in the Forbidden Forest."

Potter looked confused before his eyes cleared up. \_I'm sorry,_/ he cooed again.

"Potter, I don't want apologies, I want to know what happened," Severus said as he walked into the living area and, as gently as he could, placed Potter on the table. "You were yelling at me, saying that you weren't spoiled when I said you were and then you started going on about how you lied. I want the truth, Potter, where you ever spoiled by your relatives?" Severus, if his suspicions were correct, knew he would have to start out with simple questions.

He looked toward Hedwig who was on the couch watching Potter with concern in her golden eyes. He pointed his wand at the open window before closing it with a murmured spell and glanced at Potter as he waited for him to respond.

Potter looked down. \_No,_/ he said finally after a few moments of silence.

"Did your relatives ever buy you anything?"

Potter's small feathered body seemed to shudder. \_No,_/ he said.

Severus, his suspicions starting to come into full focus, frowned. "Nothing?" He asked. "Clothes? Toys? Books? They didn't buy you anything like that. Why not?" Now he was getting into the harder questions but Potter needed to answer them if his suspicions were to be proven.

Potter shook his head again. \_T…They said that…said that…_/ he broke off clearly unable to say more.

"Potter, what did they say?"

\_No, I…I can't tell you,_/ Potter cooed fearfully lifting terrified green eyes, the green hue reminded Severus so much of his beloved Lily. He found himself wondering if he had been blind to the fact that Potter was James's son that he completely forgot he was also Lily's son as well. _Lily would roll around in her grave if she knew of how I treated my unofficial godson,_ Severus thought grimly.

"Potter, no one will know about what is said here," Severus said trying his best to sound soothing to help the frightened bird speak. As if to make his statement more clear, he murmured the Silencing charm under his breath and waved his wand briefly so that it would activate. "There, now no one but I and your familiar will know of what you have said here. Now what did they say?"

Potter was silent for a long moment until Hedwig chirped and hooted something that caused Potter to glance up sharply, fear in his eyes. Hedwig chirped again firmly before flying forward and, to Severus's utter surprise, landed on his shoulder. It wasn't often that a familiar for one wizard would go near another wizard unless he or she trusted that wizard.

Hedwig seemed to be trying to tell Potter that Potter should trust Severus.

* * *

><p>Hedwig could almost see the understanding down on the human Snape's face when she landed on his shoulder. She knew owls normally didn't leave their boys or girls to approach another witch or wizard unless they truly trusted them. Like most owls, Hedwig was wise enough to see that the human Snape was trustworthy, even with his shadowy past. The human Snape was nothing like the human Vernon and would never raise his hand to a child nor would he ever starve a child.<p>

The human Snape was what her boy needed even if her boy didn't know it yet.

Hedwig knew that her boy had a godfather known as Sirius but Sirius wasn't cut out to give Harry what he needed. Sirius didn't understand what Harry has gone through and wouldn't know how best to heal his injured emotional state of mind. Sirius wouldn't know the pain that Harry had to go through, the pain that Hedwig knew from the moment she met her boy four years earlier.

Sirius didn't know of the abuse that Harry suffered at the hands of his relatives.

Hedwig knew that the physical and emotional scarring must have started long before she chose Harry as her boy but she didn't know exactly when.

She also knew that the human Snape suffered the same kind of abuse that Harry did.

Hedwig was one of the very few magical owls that could sense something about a specific person given a chance to examine the person closely. Spending a full week with the human Snape allowed her a look into his troubled and shadowy past. Although she didn't know what happened, she could sense the pain that he felt and knew that it was similar to the pain she often felt when she was around her boy Harry.

Hedwig didn't know as to why she had this odd ability but she knew that it spoke the truth. She didn't count on it often and it often worked without her knowing that it was working but it allowed her a deeper insight into the human Snape.

And that was how she learned of the many things her boy had in common with the human Snape.

Not to mention listening to Snape talk to himself when he assumed she was asleep during the week while Harry was recuperating.

Also the fact that Snape seemed to know exactly what was wrong with Harry from the way he actually softened his voice, asked easy questions, casting a charm that would prevent others but him and Hedwig from hearing Harry's answers.

It all spoke volumes of what the human Snape knew.

And that was why Hedwig trusted Snape enough to try and convince her boy to open up to him.

Snape may be the only person in the entire wizardring world who could help Harry in his time of need.

\_Answer the human Snape, Harry, you can trust him,_/ Hedwig hooted softly to Harry.

Harry lifted his head to gaze at his familiar. \_I…I can't trust adults,_/ he cooed back.

\_You need to try, Harry,_/ Hedwig hooted softly. \_Just try, speak the truth, let Snape know. If he repeats anything that he learns here today, I'll peck out his eyes._/

Harry couldn't help it and started cooing in amusement.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "I take it your familiar said something funny, Potter," he muttered.

Harry managed to calm down. \_She only said that if you repeat anything you learn here today then she'll peck out your eyes,_/ he cooed.

Snape's black eyes narrowed. "I can believe that," he said with a glance at Hedwig who glared at him. \_Yes, I will do it,_/ she chirped although she was sure Snape couldn't understand her. He did seem to get what she was trying to say though for he said, "Rest assured, Potter, anything you say here will be kept confidential. I will not go to the Headmaster with this information unless you wish for me to."

\_Trust him_,/ Hedwig chirped.

Harry hesitated before lowering his head. \_All right,_/ he cooed. \_I…I'll try._/

\_That is all I ask,_/ Hedwig replied.

Snape watched Harry. "I'll ask the question again, what did your relatives say to you?" he asked.

Harry seemed to struggle with himself and Hedwig flew off of Snape's shoulder before landing by Harry. \_Come on, Harry, you can do it,_/ she chirped quietly.

Harry nodded. \_T…They said that n…no good freaks who kill their parents d…didn't deserve clothes or toys or books or anything,/ _he stammered out finally.

Snape's eyes flashed with anger. "Why those…?" he broke off but Hedwig had the feeling he wanted to say several more words, some of which Harry was too young to hear. She nipped at Snape's hand, which was holding Harry before tossing him a warning look trying to tell him to stop before he taught her boy more curse words.

Snape seemed to have understood. "How dare they?" he said instead. His eyes grew pained. "You are not to blame for your parents' death, Petunia and her oaf of a husband don't know what they are talking about."

\_B…But Voldemort was trying to kill me and my…and my parents died instead, it should have been me,_/ Harry cooed sadly.

"Don't ever say that, Potter," Snape retorted. Hedwig couldn't help but find it amusing to see a grown man scolding a dove. "Your mother was a very kind and gentle woman who loved you very much, even before you were born. She wouldn't have stepped aside and allowed the dark lord to kill you, it wasn't her way. Any mother would willingly give their life to save their child, the same goes for most fathers although it sort of depends on the father."

Hedwig wondered what he meant by that.

Harry lowered his head. \_They…my relatives called my parents no good drunks and said they died in a car accident. I believed that until Hagrid told me the truth,_/ he cooed softly.

"At least you know the truth," Snape said. He sighed before adding, "But remember this, Potter, you are not to blame for what happened to your parents. If there is anyone to blame than it's me. If I hadn't delivered that prophecy to the dark lord then he would never have gone after you and your family."

Harry frowned. \_You didn't know,_/ he cooed.

"That doesn't help in the slightest, Potter," Snape muttered.

\_Honestly, Professor, how were you to know that Voldemort would take the prophecy seriously? I mean, come on, even I know that Professor Trelawney can't predict anything correctly,_/ Harry said.

Snape sighed before narrowing his eyes. "Are you sticking up for your greasy git of a Potions Professor, Potter? I never thought I'd see the day," he said sardonically.

Harry, Hedwig could tell, wanted badly to roll his eyes. \_Professor, I may not like the way you treated me these past four years but I understand that, most of it, was only to keep your cover. I figure the rest is because I bear an unkindly resemblance to my father, although I still don't quite understand that part,_/ he cooed.

"Perhaps at another time, I can explain that to you," Snape replied. "Now then, I still have a few more questions to ask you about your relatives."

Harry shifted until he was sitting down. \_I suppose we'd best get this over with,_/ he cooed. \_I'll try to answer them, Professor._/

Snape nodded clearly expecting him to say that and Hedwig chirped happily as she flew upward to perch herself just above her boy, glad that her boy may finally be getting the help that he deserves.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: the next chapter is a direct continuation of this**

**Darth: with some Dumbledore and Hermione tossed into the mix**

**Blaze: we are nearing the start of the events of OotP and I am warning you know, **_**LOTS OF EVENTS IN OOTP WILL BE AU!**_

**Darth: this is for many reasons, one: most events in OotP have nothing to do with the plotline Blaze is working out**

**Severus: two: only a few events are going to be mentioned or acted out but not like in canon**

**Harry: three: Blaze doesn't remember key events in the movie and isn't likely to remember them even after she sees the movie**

**Blaze: and four: I can't seem to find my stinking copy of the bloody book!**

**Darth: language Blaze**

**Blaze: bloody? What's wrong with that?**

**Darth: (sighs) Oh and Blaze also wanted to mention that the ability given to Hedwig is another AU element since she is pretty sure it's not in the books so don't flame her about that, it is her AU STORY after all.**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 8 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon and thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story so far.**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Severus sat back on his heels as he examined the dove that he still held in his hand. Potter had transformed into such a small bird and Severus found himself wondering at that. He remembered what Potter had yelled at him only about an hour earlier and found himself thinking about what he had said.

_What did he mean by he barely got fed? And why did he say that his cousin actually had a bedroom for the first eleven years of his life?_ Severus wondered silently.

Severus canceled the Silencing charm with a wave of his wand when he spotted Albus poking his head into the fireplace. "Albus," he greeted the Headmaster.

"Ah so you did find Harry," Albus said.

"I would have told you sooner but I figured Hagrid would have told you and I had to get to work on repairing his wing since he dislocated it and if it wasn't mended soon then there was a chance he could break it again."

"Understandable, Severus. Alas, Hagrid did inform me but I came to check on the boy, er dove, myself," Albus replied.

Potter peeked at the headmaster from Severus's hand before cooing a greeting and Albus, although he didn't understand him, smiled. "Why hello to you too, Harry," he said.

Potter cooed. \_He understood me,_/ he said happily.

"I'm sure the headmaster just got the gist of what you were trying to say to him," Severus said.

"Alas, Severus is correct, my dear boy," Albus said. He gestured for Severus to join him in his office and Severus nodded before placing Potter back on the table.

"Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't move," Severus ordered Hedwig who chirped once in response before flying to Potter's side and placing a talon on his back, avoiding his healing wing, but successfully keeping him pinned.

\_Really? Do you really have to do this?_/ Potter complained. Severus wasn't sure if that was directed at him or at his familiar but he had a feeling it was directed at both of them.

He floo traveled to Dumbledore's office and Albus glanced at him. "How is everything looking with Harry?" he asked.

"This flight he took didn't use up any of his magic, which means his wing was completely healed so I suppose a wind current may have tossed him out of the sky and caused his wing bone to get dislocated. He is gaining his magical strength back quickly but it will still be about two weeks before he will have enough strength to transform back," Severus replied.

"Any word on Voldemort?"

"No although Bellatrix and Gregory may still be near the Forbidden Forest but they are keeping as far from Hogwarts as they can possible get so they won't be detected. I was getting a sharp feeling of unease when I found Potter by the water at the edge of the Forbidden Forest just beyond the wards but so far the dark lord hasn't contacted me which means it's likely that whatever was behind that feeling, they don't know of my status and they are not likely working for the dark lord," Severus said.

Albus nodded. "Dolores is already starting to get her plans together for her DADA class," he said. "But she insists on not using any spells or even teaching the students, they are going to be studying in textbooks about the dangerous creatures in the world."

Severus scowled. "And you say you want your students to be able to defend themselves against a dark creature, or even the dark lord himself. Why don't you just fire Umbridge and give me the job? You know that I can teach the students what they need to know to defend themselves," he said.

"Alas, my boy, I cannot do that. The Ministry of Magic wants Umbridge to have a position here in Hogwarts and the DADA position is the only one that is open," Albus said.

The spy glared at Dumbledore. "Umbridge isn't qualified to teach Defense," he said.

"She isn't qualified to teach any other class either, Severus," Albus reminded him. "Would you rather she teach Potions?"

Severus shuddered at the mere thought of having that frilly pink toad anywhere near his Potions classroom. "No," he said curtly.

"Then you see that I cannot give you the DADA position because that would leave Dolores to teach Potions and we certainly don't want someone who doesn't have the slightest clue as to what to do teaching such a dangerous subject."

"It's only dangerous when you put Gryffindors and Slytherins together," Severus growled. "But very well, I cannot and will not argue with your decision although I do not like it one bit."

"I know you do not, Severus," Albus said. "But I assure you, it is temporary. Sooner or later, the Ministry will have to admit that what Harry saw in that graveyard is true and Voldemort has come back."

"Most likely later rather than sooner, especially if Lucius still has Fudge's ear and the dark lord wants everyone ignorant of his return for a while longer," Severus muttered.

Albus nodded. "Indeed," he said. "I'd best let you get back to your guests, Severus. Although I think it would be safe for you to know that Miss. Granger and Mr. Weasley are staying at Grimmauld's Place. It will be much safer for them there."

"Why would it be safer for them?" Severus asked.

"Because the dark lord will not know as to where they are and it is only until school starts."

Severus nodded, although he didn't get it, once in reply before he floo traveled back to his quarters.

* * *

><p>Harry glanced up as Snape arrived in the living room and walked over to join him, sliding a long slender fingered hand beneath his small dove body before lifting him up and walking to his chair. "As I said before I left," he said after he cast the Silencing charm over the three of them, Hedwig included, "I still have some questions to ask you."<p>

Harry nodded. \_About my relatives right?_/ he cooed questioningly.

"Amazing, you actually listened for once," Snape said sarcastically. "But yes, about your relatives. The next question is this: you said that you were barely fed as it is, what did you mean by that?"

Harry stiffened. \_I'm sorry,_/ he cooed.

"Potter, I want answers, not apologies."

Harry lowered his head but reminded himself that his familiar trusted Snape so why couldn't he?

_Because you can't trust adults,_ a voice murmured in the back of his mind.

\_Harry, I trust the human Snape, even though I know how he treated you, so why can't you?_/ Hedwig chirped quietly.

Harry knew she was right. Hedwig knew of everything that Snape put him through, he often talked about those classes with his familiar, and yet she trusted him. Taking a deep breath, Harry cooed softly, \_It's as I said, they hardly ever fed me. They saw me as a burden, a freak and another mouth to feed and they didn't want to feed it. T…They said that only good boys could get dinner and often sent me to my cu…room without any food._/

Snape narrowed his eyes and Harry found himself wondering if Snape had caught his slip of the tongue. Whether he did or not, Harry didn't know for Snape asked, "How long did they do this?"

\_As long as I…as I can remember,_/ Harry cooed so quietly that both Snape and Hedwig had to strain to hear him. \_I'd say since I was maybe two._/

Snape's eyes flashed. "Those bloody muggles," he growled quietly. "How dare they do such a horrible thing to Lily's child?" Harry had a feeling Snape was talking to himself so he didn't dare interrupt.

Snape shook his head, more to control his anger rather than to clear his thoughts before he turned his obsidian gaze to Harry. "Where was your room before you turned eleven?" he asked.

Harry realized that Snape was just waiting for him to finish answering the last question before going on to his slip of the tongue. He lowered his head, suddenly afraid to answer, afraid that even with the Silencing charm, Uncle Vernon would still find out he spoke.

"Potter?" Snape said clearly seeing that Harry didn't want to talk about it.

Harry lowered his head.

\_Tell him,_/ Hedwig hooted.\_I don't know the answer to this question but both the human Snape and I want to know._/

Harry hesitated again. \_They kept me in a cupboard,_/ he said finally.

Such fire burned in Snape's eyes that Harry shrank away in terror even though he knew the rage was not focused on him but rather on his relatives. "Did they ever harm you?" Snape asked clearly struggling to control his anger.

This was the hardest question to answer although Harry was expecting it from the moment Snape started asking about his relatives. To stall, he asked, \_What do you mean?_/

"You're stalling, Potter. You know exactly what I mean, have your relatives ever laid a hand or anything else on you?" Snape asked his voice was hard, cold and yet he was trying to make it as soothing as he possibly could, which didn't come easy to Snape, Harry knew that much was certain.

\_Tell him,_/ Hedwig hooted firmly. Hedwig knew first hand of what Vernon Dursley did to Harry since she saw it every summer since she became Harry's familiar and Harry knew that Hedwig had no way of knowing how it was before he got his Hogwarts letter.

\_I…I don't know i…if I can,_/ Harry stammered out.

"Potter, I cannot help you if I do not know all the details," Snape said.

Harry glanced up. \_Why would you want to help me?_/ He asked.

"Did I not tell you before? I promised your mother I would protect you," Snape replied.

Harry frowned. His mother trusted Snape, Hedwig trusted Snape and even Dumbledore trusted Snape. _Perhaps I can to,_ he thought. He hesitated for several more seconds before he cooed quietly, \_Yes, although it's mostly only Uncle Vernon. When I did accidental magic, he would get mad and start hitting me, either with his hand or with his belt. Aunt Petunia only ever slapped me although she did nearly hit me with a frying pan one time. Dudley, well, he just bullied me constantly, pushing me, tripping me, blaming me for everything so that I would get in trouble with my uncle._/

By the time Harry finished speaking, both Hedwig and Snape's eyes were burning with such rage that it could have made someone like Voldemort run screaming. "Why didn't you bring this up before?" Snape asked clearly trying hard to not sound demanding.

Harry lowered his head. \_Uncle Vernon always told me that if I told anyone about what happened in his house, he would somehow find out I spoke and he would make me pay. I did try to convince Professor Dumbledore but he insisted that I still had to go back there,_/ he said.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "Well, I can clearly see why the wards fell now," he said. "It's clear that when you and Hedwig fled from your home, you didn't consider it to be your home anymore, which is the only way they could have fallen."

Harry looked up hopefully. \_Does that mean I don't have to go back?_/ he cooed excitedly.

"It's up to Dumbledore, Potter," Snape replied. "Although I don't deny that you are telling the truth, Potter, Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic may require more substantial proof. A confession, perhaps, when the Dursleys return to their home."

\_They would never confess,_/ Harry murmured.

"That remains to be seen. Dumbledore can be very…persuasive when he wants to be."

\_But where would I go? Can I go live with Sirius?_/ Harry asked.

Snape's eyes narrowed more to tiny black slits as if he was thinking hard about that. "Black does have custody of you, because your father James named him your godfather, but Lily had a will too. I don't know exactly what it says on it but I know Lily wouldn't entrust your care into Black's hands, Black can be a bit…childish and he is still suffering from what he went through in Azkaban."

\_Oh…right. Well what about you?_/ Harry asked.

That question startled both Harry and Snape, Harry because he didn't realize it had come out of his mouth until after he said it and Snape, well Harry wasn't entirely sure. All he saw was utter shock in Snape's black agate eyes.

"You must be joking, Potter," Snape sneered. "Why would I bother taking a Potter into my household?"

_\My mum trusted you enough to name you my unofficial godfather and you have taken care of me this past week, trying to get me to transform back into a human. Besides, Hedwig trusts you and so does Dumbledore,_/ Harry cooed in reply.

Snape scowled. "Potter, Black will automatically have custody of you if the Dursleys lose you and I doubt he would willingly hand over your guardianship over to me, he would sooner die than do that," he snapped.

\_But you said that Black was too childish to take care of me,_/ Harry protested.

"He is but he will still be next in line, thanks to your father."

\_What about my mum?_/

"Potter, why are you pushing this? Are you honestly trying to tell me that you actually _want_ me to be your guardian?" Snape sounded incredulous and a tad sardonic.

Harry gazed at him. \_Perhaps I do,_/ he said softly. \_You listen to me, you have protected me ever since I came to Hogwarts, you healed me and took care of me the past week, and you risked Voldemort's wrath by lying through your teeth to protect me. Sirius may risk his life for me but he hasn't done what you've done for me the past four years._/

"Potter…"

\_Tell the human Snape that I say he understands you more than he may care to admit,/_ Hedwig hooted.

\_Hedwig says that you understand me more than you may care to admit,/ _Harry said.

Snape flinched before glowering at Hedwig who hooted once in reply before glancing Harry. \_Ask him what I mean,_/ she chirped.

\_Hedwig told me to ask you what she meant,_/ Harry cooed to Snape.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I don't see how she could know anything about what she is talking about but, alas, she is correct. I do understand what you went through…" he paused before adding softly, "…because I suffered through it myself."

* * *

><p>Hermione walked beside Ron, Fred, George and Ginny as the four Weasleys followed their parents deeper into Diagon Alley. At her side were her muggle parents who were easily following the Weasley family's lead since they knew more about this than the Grangers did.<p>

Hermione has been going to Hogwarts for four years now and will be starting her fifth year in three weeks time but her parents still insisted on joining her to get her stuff for school. The Weasleys easily agreed to let them come along although the Grangers wouldn't be staying long.

Hermione was going to stay with Ron and the other Weasleys at Grimmauld's Place because of the dark lord's return and her parents were going on a vacation away from Europe, also to escape the dark lord. Hermione believed Harry when he said that the dark lord had returned and Snape made it clear when he revealed to her and Ron of his duties as a spy.

Hermione still found that amazing, that the Potions Professor who had always been so unnecessarily cruel to Harry was doing it as an act because he was risking his life to spy on Lord Voldemort. Hermione found that to be very brave even if Ron was stubborn and refused to admit that what Snape told them was true.

Whether or not Ron thought it was true, they still did swear a Wizard's Oath to not reveal Snape's status as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix to anyone.

"Hermione dear, you're falling behind," Hermione's mother said gently pulling the bushy haired girl out of her thoughts.

"Sorry mum," she said before she jogged forward to join Ron, the Weasley twins and Ginny as they stopped outside of the bookstore where they were to get their textbooks.

"I wonder who this years DADA teacher is going to be," Ron said when Hermione joined them.

"Who knows?" Hermione replied with a shrug.

"Maybe it's Snape. It's not a secret that Snape has been going after that position for quite a while," Ron said.

"Well if it is him then there's more a chance that we'll actually learn something in that class," Hermione said.

Ron snorted. "Maybe," he said. "I still don't trust Snape."

"Oh Ronald, that is only because you can't see beyond his mask," Hermione said with a small sigh.

"True but I still don't trust him, especially since he's watching over…"

"Ron! You're not supposed to speak about that, Dumbledore made us swear," Hermione whisper-hissed. "What if someone overheard you?"

Ron fell silent. "Sorry," he said.

Hermione snorted. "Next time, do try to think before you speak, Ronald," she said before she walked into the bookstore and Ron, sighing, followed her while the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione's parents followed them inside.

"What books are we supposed to get?" Hermione asked.

"We'll get the books for you," Mrs. Weasley said. "Why don't you just look around?"

"All right, mum," Ron said before he and Hermione walked on down the shelves with Fred, George and Ginny behind them.

Hermione narrowed her eyes when she spotted a familiar blonde head of hair. "Isn't that Draco?" she whispered gesturing.

Ron glanced at the blonde. "Oh great, that's the last thing I need, Malfoy being here," he muttered.

The boy that Hermione had figured out was Draco was walking down the aisles but came to a stop in front of Hermione and Ron. "Weasley, Granger," Draco greeted them curtly. "I am surprised you came here at all."

"We're not cowards like you are, Malfoy," Ron retorted.

Draco ignored him. "And where's Potter?" He asked. "Not coming back to school this year? Is he the scared one of your little group?"

Ron opened his mouth to reply but Hermione quickly cut in before Ron could say something stupid that would break their Wizard's Oath. "Be quiet, Malfoy, Harry will be at school, he probably already got his stuff," she said.

Draco sneered. "I doubt that," he said. "It's a shame that Potter is such a coward that he doesn't even show up to go shopping with his little friends."

"Who are you calling a coward, coward?" Ron retorted.

"Draco!"

Draco glanced over his shoulder as Lucius Malfoy glided over to join them. "Yes father?" he said politely.

"You know better than to start anything like this with the Weasleys, Draco," Lucius said curtly. "Now get your books and let's get going!"

"Yes father," Draco said before glaring at Hermione and Ron. "See you in school, Weasley, Granger," he said coolly before he turned around and jogged after his father.

"I really hate Draco," Ron muttered.

"He's an arrogant idiot," Hermione muttered. "It's a miracle he actually made it to fifth year."

"He probably just bought his way through the last four years."

"Ron, Hermione, we're leaving now," Mrs. Weasley called and Ron glanced toward his mother.

"Coming mum," he called before he and Hermione ran off side by side to join the Weasleys and Grangers as they left the bookstore.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: of course I had to bring Draco into it, I like him**

**Darth: even though he's e-v-i-l**

**Voldemort: er…live?**

**Darth: who taught you how to spell?**

**Harry: (rubs head) hey! Thanks a lot, now I have a migraine**

**Severus: yeah, he's known to give those to everyone he's around**

**Voldemort: how dare you insult me, Severus? You work for me!**

**Severus: I do? Well then I quit (walks off to Starbucks)**

**Voldemort: (scowls)**

**Blaze: (laughs) the next chapter will come out probably next week sometime and it will be from Hedwig's, Ron's, and Snape's POV**

**Darth: yay! How long is this story going to be?**

**Blaze: it's likely to be my longest **_**Harry Potter**_**fic to date so I don't know yet, it is going on 27 chapters and I'm not even close to being done.**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: so please review and thank you to everyone who reviewed so far, I hope you continue to like this story!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

Hedwig watched as her boy stared in utter shock at the human Snape, clearly not believing what Snape had told him._ \What do you mean?_/ he cooed, surprise evidently clear in his voice.

"It is just as I said, Potter," Snape said curtly. "I suffered through the same kind of childhood that you did, although my father never starved me and my mother was always there to help me get through it. I suppose you can say that my father played a part in what caused me to turn to the Death Eaters."

\_Your father beat you?_/ Harry cooed in shock.

Snape nodded. "Only Lily knew about this as I had not told anyone else about it," he said. "But your familiar is correct when she says that I understand what you have gone through."

Harry glanced at Hedwig who hooted. \_You see? The human Snape will be a better guardian for you than your godfather because he knows as to what you have gone through and can help you overcome it,_/ she chirped.

Harry frowned. \_You actually want Snape to be my guardian?_/ he cooed in surprise.

Snape, clearly hearing Harry's words, glanced at Hedwig. "I find that hard to believe," he said.

\_The human Snape will be able to heal and protect you better,_/ Hedwig chirped quietly. \_And you already suggested it to him after all._/

\_Oh…yeah._/

"Oh yeah what? What did your familiar say?" Snape asked.

\_She reminded me that I did suggest that you can be my guardian,_/ Harry cooed in response.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I cannot seem to figure out why you would want me to be your guardian," he said. "But you should have a say in who you want to be your guardian so I will bring it up with Dumbledore after we get the proof we need to get you away from the Dursleys. However I may not entirely like you, Potter, I cannot and will not condone child abuse if I can find a way to stop it."

\_So you don't like me?_/ Harry asked.

"At first," Snape admitted. "You reminded me so much of your father that I was blind to the fact that you are also Lily's son. I suppose I was blind by my dislike of your father and I took it out on you."

Harry frowned. \_Why did you dislike my father?_/ He asked.

Snape's eyes grew pained. "We never got along," he said. "To be honest, your father and his friends, including your godfather, didn't like me, mostly because I was Slytherin and your father and his friends were Gryffindors. They often bullied me and never once got into serious trouble with Dumbledore, which helped to secure my dislike of them honestly."

\_They kind of sound like Dudley,_/ Harry cooed quietly. \_But how do I know you aren't lying to me?_/

"Potter, have I ever lied to you before?"

Hedwig glanced at Harry as she waited for him to reply and she could tell that he was thinking the same thing she was, the human Snape has never lied to him intentionally. \_He's right,_/ Hedwig chirped quietly.

Harry cooed in agreement. \_No, you haven't lied to me, Professor. I find it hard to believe but I know that you wouldn't lie to me on something as important as this,/ _he said to Snape.

Snape nodded slowly in reply. "Are you still sure you wouldn't mind me being your guardian?" he asked.

\_Hedwig is right in saying you can better help me, Professor,_/ Harry replied. \_I know that your position as a spy for the Order will make it difficult but it will also provide me with the perfect protection. Not only can you help me come to terms with what happened while I was at the Dursleys but you can also keep your cover because Voldemort isn't stupid enough to actually think you would take custody of me, the Boy-Who-Lived, the boy you supposedly hate with a passion. And if you don't want to be my guardian after Voldemort is defeated then you can always give custody of me to Sirius._/

Snape narrowed his eyes clearly thinking about what Harry had said and Hedwig hooted. \_I thinks he's considering it,_/ she chirped to her boy.

Harry nodded before turning his green gaze to Snape. \_Besides, you should know how to defend yourself against Voldemort and you can teach me. I will need to know as much as I can if I am to defeat Voldemort and all my DADA professors have taught me little to nothing useful,_/ he cooed.

Snape's lips quirked but he suppressed a smile that was threatening to cross his facial features, Hedwig saw this and she chirped in amusement. "You're still young, Potter," he said. "But you are correct, you will need to know more than you know now if you are to stand a chance against the dark lord and be able to defend yourself. This years DADA professor doesn't believe you, Potter, and so she isn't likely to teach you or your classmates anything."

\_So will you please teach me what I need to know to survive?_/ Harry cooed questioningly.

Snape was silent for a long moment. "Very well," he said finally. "You do realize, however, that I will be unable to teach you all the time. I have classes and so do you, not to mention the dark lord will likely be calling me constantly to his side once you start school."

\_And there's also the problem of you not being able to transform back until you get your strength back up,_/ hooted Hedwig.

\_That's true, how can I get my strength back quicker?_/ Harry cooed to Snape.

"I don't know," Snape admitted. "The potion I have been giving you should have worked in two weeks time but because I had to alter it so that it would be safe for a dove to take, it's taking longer to work. It isn't likely you will regain your magical strength for another two or three weeks."

\_Two or three weeks?_/ Harry cooed in shock. \_But by then I'll being starting school! Isn't there a way I can take the unaltered potion and regain my magical strength before then?_/

"It's dangerous for an animagus to take the unaltered version of the potion I've been giving you," Snape said. "However, I will endeavor to ask Poppy about it and see if it is possible to give you the unaltered version."

Harry's eyes glittered with thanks before he narrowed his green eyes. \_I sort of miss my friends and Sirius,_/ he cooed quietly.

Snape sneered. "Do you want to visit Grimmauld's Place? That is where Weasley and Granger are staying. Dumbledore thought it would be safer for them there until school starts," he said.

\_When did you learn this?_/ Harry cooed.

"While I spoke with Dumbledore earlier," Snape replied. "Do you want to see your friends and mutt of a godfather or what?"

Harry cooed happily before spreading his wings. Snape stretched out a hand. "It wouldn't be a good idea for you to try flying. Let your wing rest for a bit longer before you trying flying again," he said before he lifted Harry and placed the dove on his shoulder. Hedwig immediately flew forward before landing on his other shoulder.

"I will contact them first and make sure there are more Order members there. This meeting cannot be long for the longer you stay out of Hogwarts' safety wards, the more likely the dark lord will be able to find you, even at your godfather's place," Snape added before he quickly placed a floo call to Grimmauld's Place before waiting for someone to reply.

Sirius, unfortunately, was the one that responded. "What do you want, Snivellous?" he sneered.

"Will you stop calling me that, you mangy mutt?" Snape growled back. "Potter wants to visit you and his friends but I wanted to make sure there are enough Order members to protect him when I take him to your place. He cannot stay long however."

"Tonks, Moody and Remus are here," Sirius replied.

"I suppose that will be enough," Snape said before Sirius nodded and pulled his head back from the green flames. Hedwig chirped happily before watching as Snape stepped into the fireplace and tossed down some floo powder. "Grimmauld's Place," he called before the green flames enveloped the three of them and they disappeared.

* * *

><p>Ron glanced up from where he was sitting beside Hermione in the conference room with Sirius. Hermione, of course, was looking over her summer homework but she also glanced up as the floo flared to life and Snape walked out of it with Harry and Harry's familiar on his shoulders.<p>

"Harry!" Hermione called.

Harry cooed happily.

"Don't even think about flying to them, Potter," Snape said curtly. "Your wing still needs rest."

Harry tossed him a glare that clearly said 'I know that' before he hopped onto Snape's hand and Snape placed him on the table. Harry hopped across the table before coming to a stop in front of his friends before tipping his head to one side and cooing.

"No, I won't translate for you, Potter," Snape growled.

Harry cooed angrily.

"Just because they cannot understand you does not mean I have to waste my time being a translator!"

Harry cooed sharply.

"Well who's fault was that?"

Harry cooed.

"Well that's true, I'll admit that but still!"

Harry cooed angrily and Hedwig jumped in before hooting and chirping firmly.

Snape growled. "Fine since it seems to be two against one. I knew it wasn't a good idea for Albus to have me look after two birds," he muttered.

Sirius was grinning ear to ear.

"Oh don't you dare start laughing, you mangy mutt," Snape retorted.

Harry cooed sharply.

"He is a mutt, technically speaking Potter," Snape said.

Harry cooed.

"Did I not say I would translate for you?"

Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione before cooing happily.

"He said to tell you that he says hello and ask how are you doing?" Snape supplied helpfully.

"We're doing fine, Harry," Hermione said. "But what about you? And how can Snape understand you?"

Harry cooed with amusement in his voice.

"He said he was giving me such a headache that Dumbledore made it so I could understand him and he says he's fine," Snape said.

Harry cooed sharply.

"Yes I did add the headache part but it is true, you're constant cooing was giving me a headache because I couldn't figure out what you were trying to say," Snape said in reply to whatever question Harry had asked.

"How long do you suppose you'll be a dove, mate?" Ron asked.

Harry cooed.

"He said hopefully only two weeks although it's more likely to be three," Snape replied.

"I think it's amazing that Snape has to be your translator," Sirius said with a smirk.

"Amazing, so you do know what my name is," Snape said sarcastically.

Sirius sneered. "Of course I know what your name is, Snivellous."

"Stop calling me that!"

Harry cooed.

"Harry said to stop arguing," said Snape said with a smirk.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

Ron glanced at Harry. "So what exactly caused this to happen?" he asked while Hermione stretched out a hand and gently touched Harry's feathers smiling as the dove leaned into the touch almost self-consciously Ron noticed.

Harry cooed for a long while clearly explaining what had happened.

"He said his relatives, wait what? You never told me that, Potter!" Snape exclaimed his eyes flaring with shock and anger.

Harry cooed sadly.

Snape gradually regained control of his anger. "I suppose so. Anyway, Harry said that his relatives were angry with him because he had asked to let Hedwig out to fly around and stretch her wings. His uncle started…beating him and Hedwig tried to fight him off but wasn't able to do so," he said although his voice was on the verge of shaking with rage.

Sirius's eyes also flashed with anger.

"He said that he didn't know exactly what happened, only that he wanted to stop his uncle from hurting him or his familiar. Apparently, accidental magic is what caused him to transform into a dove, his magic rushed to save him from his uncle's…abuse," Snape finished although Ron noticed that his hands were clenched into fists.

Sirius looked like he wanted to march over to the Dursley household and rip them apart.

Ron couldn't help but agree with them.

Harry cooed sadly.

"He said he used a lot of his magical strength to keep himself flying on a broken wing in order to reach Hogwarts but only made it as far as the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. There, his familiar went ahead to find someone to help him, incidentally running into me since I was the only one at Hogwarts at the time," Snape said.

Harry cooed.

"Potter, how many times have I told you? Stop thanking me!"

Harry cooed happily.

"You must really like to annoy me, Potter."

Harry cooed an affirmative, amusement clear in his voice.

Snape scowled.

"What are we going to do about those insufferable idiots?" Sirius demanded referring to the Dursleys.

"Potter only revealed what happened to you three because he trusts you three to not tell anyone," Snape said. "He's afraid that if we went to Dumbledore then the Headmaster would do nothing. All we need to do is find proof, proof that backs up Potter's claim and then we can take it to the Headmaster."

"But how are we supposed to find that?" Sirius asked.

"What about the bars on his window?" Ron said suddenly before hissing in pain when Harry nipped his hand. "What? It's proof, isn't it?"

Harry cooed.

"He says that his uncle took them off when he learned Potter had a godfather," Snape said.

"Well there goes that idea."

Harry cooed.

"What bars on his window?" Sirius asked.

Snape glanced at Harry who ducked his head and cooed. "What? So that's what happened," Snape said shocked.

"What did he say, Snape?" Sirius asked.

"He said a house elf by the name of Dobby had angered his uncle and his uncle put bars on Potter's window to prevent him from going back to Hogwarts," Snape replied.

Ron nodded slowly. "Er, that's sorta how we ended up in a, ah, flying car," he said.

Sirius's eyes shot wide with shock. "A flying car? Really?" he asked.

Snape sneered. "They not only nearly revealed our existence to the entire muggle neighborhood, they also crashed into the weeping willow," he said.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "That sounds like something James and I would do," he said.

"Why do you think I was so angry when I heard about it? It only further solidified my position against Potter," Snape sneered.

Harry cooed angrily.

"Well, at the time I didn't know Dobby was the one…wait a minute, _Dobby_ was the one that caused this to happen?" Snape asked.

Harry cooed again.

"Well, house elves do have a different kind of magic than we do," Snape admitted.

Harry cooed.

"Potter said that he doesn't want to talk about this anymore and he wants to know how you plan on proving what he said is true," Snape said.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "I suppose going to the Dursley household isn't a good idea," he said.

"They aren't in town right now," Tonks said walking into the conference room. "Why do you want to go to the Dursley household?"

Snape, Sirius, Ron and Hermione all glanced at Harry who immediately shook his head, a fear-filled look in his eyes. "To…ah…make sure the Dursleys are all right. I didn't know they are on vacation," Hermione said quickly.

Harry cooed in relief.

"Well, they aren't do back for a few more weeks," Tonks said. "After the wards fell, Albus, Minerva and I had to get them out of their house before the Death Eaters attacked, if they did."

"What about the Death Eaters?" Ron asked before glancing at Snape who sneered.

"I don't know the movements of the dark lord's servants all the time, Weasley," he said curtly. "I do know that two Death Eaters are located at the edge of the Forbidden Forest."

"I'd best get going, Dumbledore wished to speak to Remus and I," Tonks said. "Will you three be fine? Moody is in the next room just in case you need help."

"We'll be fine," Sirius said not once looking at Tonks but examining Harry the dove instead.

Tonks nodded before she walked out of the room and Snape cast a Silencing Charm over the conference room. "There, now Moody can't overhear us," he said.

"I'd very much like to go over to the Dursleys right now," Sirius muttered. "But how will we find the proof we need?"

Harry cooed suddenly.

Snape glanced at Harry. "Potter says that his cupboard should still be the same," he said.

Sirius's eyes shot wide with shock. "Your cupboard?" he exclaimed.

Ron and Hermione exchanged shocked looks. "What do you mean by a cupboard?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry cooed fearfully.

"Potter, there's a Silencing Charm over this place and no one can understand you as it is," Snape said curtly.

Harry cooed.

"Potter says that he used to live in a cupboard for the first eleven years of his life until he got his Hogwarts letter," Snape said

Sirius's eyes flared with anger. "How dare those bloody muggles do that to my godson?" he exclaimed.

"But there would be no way to use that as proof," Hermione protested. "Even if we got pictures or evidence of it, the Dursleys can always charge us with breaking and entering."

"If it concerns the life of a child, I am sure even Dumbledore will vouch for us and the muggle police really aren't needed for this. The Ministry is what we need to contact," Sirius said.

"All we need to do is get the proof we need," Ron said. "Then we can take Harry away from the Dursleys. But where will we place him?"

"I can take over watching him," Sirius said.

Snape shook his head. "That would not be a good idea, Black," he said. "The dark lord will likely be expecting that. Potter has already agreed to let me become his guardian."

"What?" Ron and Sirius exclaimed at the same time.

Snape sneered.

Harry cooed suddenly quickly and angrily.

Snape glanced at Harry. "Potter says that the dark lord would less suspect me of watching over him and therefore would never look for Potter with me because I supposedly hate him," he translated.

Sirius glanced at Harry as if to confirm what Harry had said. Harry cooed in response before lowering his head as if to tell his godfather that what he said was true.

"Professor Snape watching over Harry is much better than the Dursleys if what Harry says is true, although I don't doubt him for a second," Hermione said.

"Then we'll go to the Dursley household tomorrow and see what we can find out," Sirius said.

"You will," Snape said. "I suggest taking Lupin with you. Death Eaters may still be watching the house, although the dark lord has not told me anything yet, and my cover would be blown if I went with you. Although I do wish to join you when the Dursleys come back." There was a positively evil look in Snape's eyes and Ron had a feeling he was thinking of awful things to do to the Dursleys once they returned home.

"What about Harry?" Ron asked.

"He needs to regain more of his strength before he can revert back to his human form. I'm going to speak with Madame Pomfrey and see if it would be all right to give him a dose of an unaltered version of the potion I have been giving him. That may speed up the process of him regaining his magical strength," Snape said. "Come along, Potter, we must be getting back to Hogwarts."

Harry cooed softly before cooing at Ron and Hermione a few times.

"Potter said goodbye and he hopes to see you when school starts again," Snape said before he stretched out an arm and Hedwig hooted softly as Harry hopped over to join Snape and Snape placed him upon his shoulder.

"See you later, Harry," Sirius said cheerfully to the dove.

"Alert me if you find anything at the Dursleys," Snape said. "I'll take everything to Albus once we have enough to put them away."

Sirius glared at Snape. "Why should you be the one to take the information to Albus?" he demanded.

"Because I am the one that Potter has chosen to be his guardian and he first spoke to me about this abuse," said Snape.

Sirius glanced at Harry. "Why didn't you come to me?" he asked.

Harry merely cooed sadly and lowered his head.

"Potter said that he didn't feel comfortable talking about it to anyone until his familiar convinced him to speak about it to me," Snape said.

Harry cooed.

"He also said that his familiar, apparently, trusts me."

Sirius looked a bit surprised at that.

"Well, we must get going now," Snape said. He nodded a goodbye to Sirius, Ron and Hermione before he turned around and disappeared through the floo.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: I FINALLY FOUND MY COPY OF ORDER OF THE PHOENIX!**

**Darth: hahahaha**

**Blaze: it took me forever and it happened to be at my grandmas house while I tore apart my house looking for it**

**Darth: hahahaha**

**Blaze: oh shut it**

**Darth: hahaha**

**Blaze: (rolls eyes) the next chapter will come out as soon as I can**

**Darth: what will happen?**

**Blaze: Sirius and Remus's trip to the Dursleys, Snape will speak to Dumbledore, and, a week and a half later, four Order members will go speak with the Dursleys, who return a week and a half early**

**Darth: why did you tell us that?**

**Blaze: 'cause I wanted to please review. And yes Umbridge's appearance is completely AU. Once again, Sirius has been cleared of all charges by the time this story took place. I will post chapter 10 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon.**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Remus Lupin narrowed his eyes as he examined Albus while the elder wizard sat behind his desk clearly looking tired. "Are you all right, Albus?" he asked.

Albus nodded. "I've just been thinking about what happened with Harry and what we're going to do about it," he said. "I have my utmost confidence in Severus's ability to convince Harry to return to his human form once he gained his strength back."

"If anyone can do this, Severus can," Tonks replied. "But I'm sure that's not why you called us here. Has something happened?"

"Severus was correct about the two Death Eaters searching for Harry at the edge of the Forbidden Forest," Albus said. "They haven't moved closer to the school but they are still on this island and that worries me greatly, especially since the students are returning in less than three weeks."

"Severus will warn us ahead of time, I am sure he will," Remus said. "He is your most trusted spy after all."

"Indeed but he has his hands full with Harry."

"The sooner we transform Harry back to his human form the better than," Tonks said.

"Yes but I cannot be sure if I will be able to get the wards back up when Harry transforms. The wards could only have fallen if Harry didn't call the Dursley household home anymore and so unless Harry starts calling their household home, I won't be able to raise the wards again."

"We can try speaking to him or Padfoot and Severus can," Tonks suggested.

Remus's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile. "It wouldn't be a good idea to put Padfoot and Severus in the same room together, they'd probably murder each other. They've never liked each other, even when we were at Hogwarts," he said.

"Well they will have to put aside their vendetta if Harry is to find safety," Albus said.

"I'll speak to them," Remus said quietly.

Albus nodded. "You may go now," he said and Remus nodded before getting to his feet and walking over to the floo before flooing back to Grimmauld's Place.

"Welcome back, Moony," Sirius greeted him once the werewolf stepped through the green flames.

"Thanks, Padfoot," Remus replied.

"Up for taking a trip with me?"

"Where are we going?"

"To the Dursley household, I have received some disturbing information about Harry and I need to find out if it's true," Sirius replied.

Remus frowned looking worried. "What happened to Harry?"

Sirius cast a Silencing Charm before briefly explaining about the abuse that Snape said Harry suffered at the hands of his relatives. "He received this information from Harry himself and I want to confirm it," he said.

Remus nodded feeling horrified. "Okay," he said before he and Sirius slowly made their way toward the doors to Grimmauld's Place to apparate to Privet Drive to check the Dursleys household.

The house was completely empty when Remus and Sirius apparated into it, avoiding walking in the front door just in case the neighbors saw and called the muggle police. Remus figured that they wouldn't do Harry any good if they got put in a muggle prison for breaking and entering.

"All right, Snape told us that Harry slept in a cupboard so let's see if we can find said cupboard," Sirius said before he led the way toward the stairs easily finding the door to a cupboard. Remus came to a stop behind him, clearly seeing locks closing the door.

"This is odd," he said.

Sirius nodded before pulling out his wand and pointing it at the locks. "_Alohamorra_,_" _he said softly and the locks unlocked. Remus pulled the locks off before opening the door and gazing inside, pulling out his wand as he did so.

"_Lumos_," he whispered and his wand grew brightly before lighting up the cupboard.

The cupboard was empty although there were signs that someone had used to live there. There were drawings on the ground, crayon markings on the wall and a dirty old blanket lying on the floor. Remus moved into the cramp cupboard before using his wand to examine the wall.

_Harry's room_ was written in blue crayon upon the wall.

"Look at this, Padfoot," Remus whispered before moving out of the cupboard and Sirius moved in, also lighting his wand before examining the wall.

"This is the proof we need, that is defiantly Harry's writing although a younger, childish version of it," Sirius said stepping back.

"So this is the proof we need," Remus said. "But I suggest we check the rest of the house to see if we can find more proof."

Sirius nodded and the two of them closed the door to the cupboard before casting the locking charm so that it would look like they did nothing to it. Between the two of them, they managed to examine every room in the house, even finding Harry's room completely closed by locks and there looked to be traces of a struggle with a broken lamp lying in fragments in the corner.

"This is exactly what we need," Sirius said.

"I suggest that we show Albus this ourselves when the Dursleys return," Remus said.

Sirius nodded in agreement and the two of them apparated out of the house back to Grimmauld's Place.

* * *

><p>"And it looks as though there was a struggle in a room with locks on the door so I think that is where Vernon attacked Harry and Hedwig just before the two of them left the house and the wards fell," Sirius finished explaining to Severus everything he had seen at the Dursley household.<p>

Severus, who was busy checking on Potter's dove wing, glanced up. "Is there enough proof to put the Dursleys away and switch custody over to someone else?" he asked.

"Defiantly, especially the cupboard," said Remus.

Severus nodded slowly. "I will take this to Albus immediately," he said. "The sooner we get Potter out of the Dursleys care, the sooner Potter can start healing of his own accord."

Potter cooed angrily. \_I don't need to heal my wing,_/ he protested.

"I didn't mean that kind of healing, Potter, I meant the emotional kind," Severus said sharply.

\_I don't need to heal emotionally,_/ Potter protested.

"Potter, anyone who suffered through what you suffered through needs time to heal emotionally," Severus said. He held out an arm and Potter flew onto it before landing on his arm. "We'll go speak to the Headmaster right away, Hedwig, you're welcome to come with us."

Hedwig chirped in reply before flying over to sit on Severus's shoulder. She chirped something at Potter who cooed in response. \_Hedwig said that she hopes Dumbledore will believe you,_/ Potter cooed at Severus.

"I'll tell Albus what you told me," Severus said. Sirius and Remus nodded once in reply to that before they disappeared through Severus's floo.

Severus left the dungeons with Potter and Hedwig perched on his shoulders before walking quickly down the corridors to the Headmaster's tower. Once he reached it, he murmured "sherbet lemons," before walking up into the tower that was Albus's office.

Albus glanced up from behind his desk. "What brings you here, Severus?" he greeted him putting his quill down before examining him, Potter and Hedwig. "How are Hedwig and Harry?"

"Albus, I don't have time for this. I need to talk to you about Potter's relatives," Severus said curtly. "I've discovered substantial proof that the Dursleys have been abusing and neglecting Potter for a very long time."

The twinkle in Albus's eyes died. "Those are serious accusations, Severus," he said.

"Potter told me himself and the way he spoke about the abuse and the neglect told me that he wasn't lying. I know what abused children sound like and I could hear it in Potter's voice," Severus said. "Also Lupin and Black have found proof to Potter's neglect and abuse."

"How did they find out about that?" Albus asked.

"They sort of went into the Dursley household but the proof is all there, Albus, they made sure that the evidence would still be there," Severus said. "Potter cannot return to that household."

"Very well, when the Dursleys return, I will go there to speak with them and see if Moony and Padfoot are speaking the truth, even though I have no doubt they are," Albus said.

Severus nodded. "That is all I ask," he said in reply.

A week and a half passed before Albus leapt up to do anything but it was a bit sooner than Severus would have thought. Only a week was left until school started again and Severus was surprised that the Dursleys had returned home a week early. They were still in danger.

He insisted upon going with Albus although Albus insisted that Severus would be in danger if he did. Severus scowled. "I can take care of myself, Albus," he said curtly. "Besides the dark lord has not posted anyone to watch the Dursley household since he knows that the wards have fallen and that the boy isn't there."

Albus nodded. "Very well, I suggest you bring Harry and Hedwig with you and we'll bring Minerva and Remus with us as well," he said.

Glad that he wouldn't have to spend anytime with the mangy mutt Sirius, Severus nodded before glancing at Potter who was waking up from where he had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "Nice of you to join us, Potter," he said curtly.

Potter's beak opened in a cooing yawn. \_What happened?_/ He cooed.

"We are going to be heading over to the Dursleys and you and your familiar will be joining us," Severus replied.

A knock sounded at the door. "Professor Dumbledore?" A very familiar voice sounded and Severus scowled as he recognized it as Dolores Umbridge.

Albus gestured to the door with his wand and the door opened to reveal the pink toad. "Hello Professor Dumbledore oh and Professor Snape, I did not think you would be here," she said smiling.

"Dolores, what brings you here?" Albus asked.

"I came to speak to you about my Defense Against the Dark Arts position," Umbridge replied before she looked at Severus. "I would really want this to be a private conversation, Professor. Oh and what a beautiful bird that is," she said looking at the dove.

Potter shrank back. \_That idiot is going to be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts? You'd do better at that job, Professor,_/ he cooed.

Severus smirked before tossing a glare at Albus who merely tossed him a long suffering look.

"I have something I must attend to right away, Dolores," Albus began.

"This is important, Albus," Umbridge said. "I am sure that whatever it is can wait. Professor Snape, will you please excuse us?"

Albus glanced at Severus. "I suppose I will not be able to go yet, I shall meet them there however so please let them know I'll be late, Severus," he said.

Severus inclined his head before he turned around and swept his way out of the office.

* * *

><p>\<em>Are we going to the Dursleys now?<em>/ Potter cooed.

"Yes," Severus replied as he entered the conference room at Grimmauld's Place. He spotted Sirius and Remus standing there, waiting. "Albus said that he'll be joining us later but he has to speak with Umbridge."

Sirius scowled. "Umbridge is starting to become a pain," he said curtly. He stood up. "I suppose we'd best get going."

"Albus said that Minerva and Moony are to join me," Severus said.

"There is no way I am letting you have all the fun, Snivellous," Sirius protested.

Severus's nostrils flared. "Fine," he said silkily. "You explain to Albus why you decided to come along but if we are to go then we should go now."

"I'm ready," Minerva said walking out of the floo at that moment. "I told Albus that those muggles were the worst kind and yet he didn't listen to me. It's about time I finally got a chance to tell him 'I told you so.'"

Severus smirked. "I have to see that," he said. "Come, we must get going. The longer we dally here, the more of a chance someone will get a whiff of what we are doing and if it's a Death Eater then...Well, I don't want to go into that."

Remus, Sirius, and Minerva nodded before Severus led the way out of Grimmauld's Place and the four of them, with Potter and Hedwig, apparated to Privet Drive.

\_Ugh, I hate apparating when I'm in this form,_/ Potter complained.

Severus snorted. "I bet you do," he said. He led the way to the door before knocking on it and waiting for the Dursleys to reply. The door opened and Petunia Dursley stood at the entrance, her horse-face paled considerably and her eyes flared with shock.

"Severus Snape," she said curtly.

"Petunia Evans Dursley," Severus retorted. "May we come in?"

Petunia growled. "Is this about the boy?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Very well." Petunia stepped aside and Severus, Minerva, Remus and Sirius walked into the house before gazing around it.

Vernon glanced up. "What are those freaks doing here?" he demanded.

Sirius's eyes flashed angrily.

"Relax, Dursley, we came to speak about your nephew," Severus said curtly.

Vernon looked about to reply until he saw Hedwig and Potter on Severus's shoulder. "Those! Those two birds are the ones that caused such a ruckus in my house!" he exclaimed.

"Only after you did something to him and that is precisely why we are here," Severus said.

"Whatever the boy told you, he lied," Petunia growled.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he asked quietly. "Why would he lie to us?"

"He did so to protect his own hide. He is an ungrateful pathetic little brat," Vernon growled. "That little brat has been a nuisance at best especially getting my poor little Dudley into trouble with his freakish powers."

"I'll admit Potter is a nuisance," Severus said curtly. "But that is no reason to blame him for his accidental magic." He added the last part more to ease Sirius's concern since Black had tossed him a glare when he spoke the first part of his sentence.

"Why are you here?" Petunia asked.

"To get the truth," Minerva replied moving forward. "Albus Dumbledore will be joining us shortly but until then, we will ascertain the truth ourselves."

"What truth?"

"Did you ever feed your nephew?" Sirius asked.

"Subtlety has never been your best quality, Padfoot," Remus muttered.

"Don't lie to us," Severus said when Petunia opened her mouth to start speaking more.

Petunia glowered angrily.

"We will know if you are lying," Minerva said. "Now answer Padfoot's question."

"Why should we bother on feeding that little brat? He is nothing more than a freak and a burden who doesn't deserve to be feed," Vernon growled.

Severus's eyes flashed.

Sirius growled. "How dare you?" he demanded. "Harry was a child. He deserved to be fed and loved."

"He was a freak who doesn't deserve to live, he should have died with my freak of a sister," Petunia growled.

Severus's eyes flashed again and Minerva and Remus had to team up to keep the Potions Professor from attacking the Dursleys after that last comment. Sirius, on the other hand, did not have that restraint.

"How dare you?" he screeched before he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the Dursleys. "_Stupefy!_" The spell flashed out of Sirius's wand before slamming into Petunia and Vernon sending them flying backwards.

"Mum, dad!" Dudley shouted in surprise.

"I want the truth," Sirius said curtly. "Since we know now that you starved Harry, where did he sleep at night before he got his Hogwarts letter?"

Petunia glared at Sirius but Severus finally managed to break free from Minerva and Remus and his wand fell into his hand before he pointed it at Petunia and Vernon. "Tell us," he said coolly and silkily, using a tone of voice that he only ever reserved for when he was among Voldemort's inner circle.

Potter cooed, \_You're intimidating them._/

Severus smirked at that but kept his wand pointed at Vernon and Petunia as he waited for them to reply.

"We kept him in the cupboard," Vernon growled finally. "But after he got that dreaded letter, we gave him Dudley's second bedroom."

"Did you ever abuse him?" Remus asked quietly.

"Did he tell you that? He lied!" Petunia cried.

\_You're the liar,_/ Potter cooed angrily although Severus knew that the Dursleys wouldn't understand him.

"Tell us the truth or I'll ascertain the truth myself," Severus said coolly.

"No!" Vernon growled. "I will not speak anymore."

Severus lowered his wand only slightly so that it was still pointed at the fat man. "Very well," he said before he stared Vernon directly in the eyes. "_Legilimens!_"

Immediately, he found himself surrounded by Vernon's memories and he saw exactly what Potter had told him. Vernon hitting Potter with his belt or his hand every time he used accidental magic, Vernon slamming the door of the cupboard into a small Potter's face even while Potter was crying. Locking the door to Potter's bedroom after an incident that involved a house elf. And more recently, hitting and kicking Potter each time he tried to protect his familiar, resulting in the transformation of Potter into a dove.

Pulling free from Vernon's memories, causing Vernon to collapse, Severus glowered at Vernon. "How dare you do that to Lily's child?" he demanded angrily. He turned to glare at Petunia. "_Legilimens!_"

He saw many different memories although some not as bad as Vernon's. He saw Petunia slapping Potter across the face each time he didn't finish his chores. Petunia hitting him when he dropped a dish on the ground. Hitting Potter's hand with a frying pan. Tossing a small crying Potter into the cupboard.

Pulling free, Severus growled. "To your own sister's child, Tuney?" he sneered.

Petunia gasped. "I never wanted him," she cried. "Dumbledore just left him on my doorstep! I never wanted to be burdened with him. We had one mouth to feed, we couldn't afford another one."

"What of the money I was sending you each month to help take care of two boys?" A new voice said and Severus, Minerva, Remus and Sirius parted to allow Albus to walk through the group before coming to a stop in front of the Dursleys.

Petunia spat.

\_Dumbledore sent me money and I never saw it?_/ Potter asked confused in his cooing voice.

Severus merely glanced at Potter and nodded.

"You will not have to watch the boy anymore, Petunia and Vernon Dursley and you will be put away," Albus said. "Severus and everyone who is currently present shall have the memories needed to put you away. I will assume guardianship of Harry and you will no longer get the money that I sent to you since you used none of it on your nephew. You will also speak only the truth when the muggle police force arrive." With that, Albus cast a complex spell that required all who were present to add their own wands into the mix.

Once the spell was cast, Albus glanced at Severus. "Come along," he said smoothly. "We must go back to Grimmauld's Place and I will contact Shacklebolt. He is a member of the Order but also a member of the Ministry and he will be able to get custody switched over from the Dursleys to…someone else."

Severus noticed that Albus hadn't mentioned his name just in case anyone may be eavesdropping. Severus nodded. "I will return to Grimmauld's Place first, Albus," he said quietly gazing around. "I have this odd feeling the house is being watched right now. They have not seen me enter but they may see me leave."

"Are you sure it's them?" Albus asked.

Severus placed a hand on his dark mark, which was starting to tingle. "I am sure," he said.

"Very well. I will see you back at Grimmauld's place, Severus," Albus said and Severus nodded before he apparated away from the house with Hedwig and Potter on his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Darth: what is going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: a Death Eater meeting, Severus will get custody of Harry, and Harry will transform back, probably not in that order though**

**Darth: really?**

**Blaze: yup and also Bellatrix was freed from Azkaban before this story started and Voldemort's army was already forming before this story took place**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 11 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Severus felt his dark mark began to burn almost as soon as he floo traveled from Grimmauld's Place to Hogwarts and he wasn't entirely sure if that was a good sign or not. He placed Potter on the table and Hedwig hopped off of his shoulder before landing next to the boy.

"I will be back as soon as I can," he said before he summoned his Death Eater robes and mask and, after putting them on, floo traveled to Lucius Malfoy's house, which was the place Voldemort chose as his headquarters.

He walked to Lucius's side as the dark lord appeared in the midst of the group, a scowl of anger on his face. He raised his wand before pointing it at his inner circle. "_Crucio,_" he barked out angrily and Severus and the rest of the Death Eaters collapsed as the Unforgivable lashed against their bodies.

"Bellatrix and Gregory were unable to find the Boy-Who-Lived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest so I want to know what could have gone wrong. Severus!" Voldemort snarled.

Severus moved forward before kneeling down on his hands and knees. "Yes my Lord?" he said.

"The brat was not at the edge of the forest. Do you know where he is?" Voldemort demanded.

"No my lord. It is possible that Dumbledore found him just before you sent Bellatrix and Gregory there and took him back to Hogwarts. If he has, however, I have not seen him," Severus replied.

Voldemort snarled. "You disappoint me," he hissed. "_Crucio!_"

Severus collapsed onto the ground as the Cruciatous curse slammed into his body and pain enveloped him on all sides. Voldemort only lifted the curse after a few minutes but Severus was exhausted by this time.

"We must accelerate our plans," Voldemort said as Severus weakly made his way back to the inner circle, his entire body fighting against him moving. "The wards around Hogwarts cannot be breached as of yet but we will make our presence known. First of all, there is a prophecy in the Department of Mysteries that we must figure out a way to get. Since the Ministry do not believe we are back, it will help us to better organize our plans without them interrupting us. It is the Order that we need to keep an eye out for, however."

"Severus, you are to go back to Dumbledore's side and prevent him from discovering anything that has to do with our plan for the Department of Mysteries and finding Potter. Keep an eye out for Potter and the instant you find him, inform me immediately," Voldemort ordered.

"Yes my lord," Severus replied before listening as Voldemort gave orders to the other members of his inner circle. Once he was finished giving orders, he disappeared and the rest of the Death Eaters left soon after he did.

Severus went back to Hogwarts although he was in so much pain that he collapsed almost as soon as he arrived. Potter cooed in concern. \_Professor!_/ he exclaimed before he flew to Severus's side and touched his beak to his cheek.

"Potter, ask your familiar to get a potion for me," Severus grunted. "It's in a small vial and is a bluish green color. It's the only unlabeled potion."

Potter nodded before relying the information to Hedwig who chirped in reply before spreading her wings and flying toward Severus's store of potions. She came back with a vial of potion clasped in her talons before she lowered it into Severus's hand.

Severus examined it and, once he was sure it was the correct one, unscrewed the top before downing the potion in one gulp. Immediately it took effect and Severus slowly regained his strength before he sat up.

\_Are you all right, Professor Snape?_/ Potter cooed quietly.

Severus nodded slowly. "I am fine, Potter," he said before he got to his feet but he swayed slightly and had to place his hand on the fireplace to keep himself steady.

Potter cooed in concern. \_You look dizzy, I think you should sit down,_/ he said.

Severus grunted. "I suppose so," he muttered before he moved to the chair and sank into it gratefully.

\_Do you need anything?_/ Potter cooed questioningly.

Severus shook his head. "No, I am fine, Potter," he replied. "Although I need to contact Dumbledore as soon as I possibly can. The dark lord has a new planning concerning something within the Ministry and Dumbledore needs to know about it."

Potter glanced at Hedwig. \_Hedwig can take a message to Dumbledore, Professor,_/ he cooed.

Severus nodded. "That might be best, I'm still a bit weak as the potion takes a while to fully bring back my strength, especially if the curse is prolonged," he said. "_Accio_ parchment and quill."

A moment later, a piece of parchment and a quill fly into Severus's hands and he began writing a quick letter to Dumbledore, requesting that the Headmaster join him in his quarters and that he had important information. He folded the message before handing it to Hedwig as the snowy owl flew forward, grabbed the message and flew out the window that Severus opened with a wave of his wand.

* * *

><p>Albus glanced up as Harry's familiar flew into the office before dropping a letter on his table and settling down at the edge of the table. "Hello there," he greeted the snowy owl.<p>

Hedwig chirped in reply.

Albus opened the message before reading it quickly and placing it on his table. He stood up before walking over to the floo and glanced at the owl. "Do you want to floo travel with me or fly back?" he asked as he grabbed the custody papers he got from the Auror Shacklebolt and Amelia Bones only a few minutes earlier.

Hedwig chirped indignantly and flew of the window.

Albus chuckled before he stepped into his private floo. "Professor Snape's quarters," he shouted as he tossed the floo powder down and disappeared before reappearing in Severus's quarters in a flash of green flames.

Severus glanced up and Albus could tell by the look in his eyes that he was recovering from the Cruciatous curse. "Hello Headmaster," he greeted him.

"Are you all right, Severus?" Albus asked.

"The dark lord wasn't too happy, I think he thought that I lied to him when I told him to check at the edge of the Forbidden Forest," said Severus. "I'm also supposed to prevent you from figuring out his plan, which involves something in the Department of Mysteries."

Albus nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "But let's hope that he will not discover your status because you have told me this." He handed the custody papers over to Severus. "I got the custody papers. These will give you custody of Harry until he comes of age."

Harry glanced at Albus before cooing.

"What did he say?" Albus asked.

Severus glanced at Harry. "He said that he agrees to being my ward until he turns seventeen," he said sounding a bit shocked.

Albus's eyes twinkled. "Very well," he said before watching as Severus _accio_ed a quill and signed the custody papers before frowning.

"Does Black agree to this?" he asked.

"Reluctantly but yes."

Harry cooed before flying to Severus's side and peering at the custody papers before cooing.

"He asked how is he supposed to sign them?" Severus said, "Since apparently it says he has to sign them in order for the Ministry to view them as legal. It looks like the Dursleys already signed them, however. How did you manage that?"

"They were more than happy to sign custody of Harry over," Albus said clearly sounding sad.

Severus grunted before glancing at Harry. "I suppose we will have to wait until you transform back before you can sign the papers," he said.

"How much longer do you suppose it will be?" Albus asked.

Severus shook his head. "I do not know. I have as of yet to speak to Poppy to see if I can give Potter an unaltered version of the potion I have been giving him for the past two and a half weeks," he said.

"I suggest you contact Poppy right away, it is important that Harry resumes his human form," Albus said.

Severus nodded and Albus flooed back to his office.

* * *

><p>Madame Pomfrey examined Harry, waving her wand over his small grayish white body before narrowing her eyes in thought. Snape was watching nearby while Hedwig was circling them, clearly bored and wanting to fly outside. Pomfrey stepped back. "His dove form is stronger than his human form for some reason, Severus," she said. "I cannot say if this is true but I believe that anything Harry suffered before he transformed into a dove was hidden away by his magic, which aided the depleting of his magical strength. He is strong enough to take an unaltered version of the potion but I do not know how weak he will be when he regains his true form."<p>

Snape narrowed his eyes slightly. "If I give him the unaltered potion then approximately how long will it take for the potion to bring Potter's strength back?" he asked.

"Three days at the most, it could only take a day at the least, it depends on how weak Harry was when he transformed into a dove," Pomfrey replied.

Snape glanced at Harry and Harry knew that they were both, clearly, thinking the same thing. \_I'm going to be stuck in my dove form for three more days,_/ Harry cooed.

Snape nodded. "It would seem so," he said before he glanced at Pomfrey. "Is there anything I should know about Potter before I administer the potion?"

"Yes, give it to him in little doses over the course of the next three days," Pomfrey replied. "Harry's bird body is too small to accommodate the entire potion at one time and the results if that should happen could prove disastrous."

Snape nodded.

Pomfrey straightened up. "If you need any help at all, Severus, I am only a floo call away," she said before she disappeared into the floo after handing Snape the unaltered version of the potion he had been giving Harry for the past several days.

"All right, Potter, I'll give you a third of it now," Snape said holding out a hand and Harry hopped into it before watching as Snape filled a dropper with a third of the potion before placing it in his mouth.

Harry swallowed, grimacing at the taste. \_That stuff is nasty, I'll never get used to it,_/ he cooed.

Snape sneered. "It isn't as bad as other potions you've had to take, Potter, since you started here. You seem to be accident prone," he said.

Harry glowered at him. \_I'm not accident prone,_/ he cooed angrily.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Oh?" He asked clearly amused. "And what about what happened in first year? The troll? The sorcerer's stone? Let's not forget the Basilisk in second year or Black in third year."

\_That last one wasn't my fault, Sirius needed my help,_/ Harry protested.

Snape sneered. "Yes but if Black had stayed put then the Ministry would have cleared him of all charges sooner. Did you not know that your father left behind a document clearly stating he had chosen Peter Pettigrew, not Black, as their Secret Keeper?" he said.

Harry blinked. \_I didn't know that, I only knew that he was cleared of all charges,/ _he admitted.

Snape sneered. "Come along, Potter, Dumbledore wishes for me to accompany him in the Great Hall for a staff dinner. I don't like it because that means I have to spend a while with Umbridge and that I could live without," he said.

\_Why bring me along then?_/

"There is no way I'm suffering through this by myself, Potter," Snape retorted and Harry couldn't help but coo in amusement before he glanced at Hedwig.

\_Are you coming with us, Hedwig?_/ He cooed questioningly.

Hedwig hooted. \_Not on your life, I only saw the human Umbridge once and I already don't like her. I'll be among my own kind if you need me,_/ she chirped back.

"What did she say?" Snape asked.

\_She doesn't like Umbridge so she's going to the Owlery,_/ Harry cooed back.

Snape snorted. "You're still suffering through this with me, Potter," he said before he placed Harry on his shoulder and swept his way out of the dungeons.

It didn't take them long to reach the Great Hall and all the walk there, Harry noticed that his teachers were examining him with curiosity in their eyes. Everyone, aside from Umbridge, knew that Harry was in the form of a dove and he was currently staying with Snape. They did not, however, know that Snape was going to become Harry's guardian until he turned seventeen.

Or, as Harry had pointed out before, until they defeated Voldemort because then if Snape did not want him anymore then he could sign over custody to Sirius.

"How is he doing?" McGonagall asked curiously as she fell into step beside her much younger colleague.

"Better than before," Snape replied. "Poppy thinks he'll be able to revert back in about three days. She did say he may revert back sooner but I don't think so, not after…" He trailed off but McGonagall, having been present when Snape and the others interrogated the Dursleys, nodded in understanding.

The two of them walked into the Great Hall before walking over to the staff table and Snape glared at Dumbledore when he realized he would be sitting next to Umbridge. Harry cooed in amusement. \_Looks like you'll suffer more than you thought you would, Professor,_/ he said.

Snape glowered at the dove on his shoulder. "You're not going to leave me alone with that…pink toad," he muttered quietly so that Umbridge wouldn't hear what he had said. Luckily, she didn't and she smiled cheerfully as Snape sat down beside her.

"Why did you bring the bird here, Professor Snape?" she asked curiously.

"He came on his own accord," Snape lied easily.

\_Oh as if,_/ Harry cooed back.

Snape merely smirked but Umbridge never noticed it since she had turned her attention back to Dumbledore. "Professor Dumbledore?" she called.

"Yes Dolores?" Dumbledore asked glancing at the frilly pink toad.

"Do you know when I will get the books I will require for my classes?" Umbridge asked. "After all, classes start in only one week."

"They will come in four days from now," Dumbledore replied.

\_What books? We never had to use books in DADA, well except Lockhart's book but that doesn't count. I still think you'd be a better DADA professor than that…pink idiot,_/ Harry cooed angrily.

"Believe me, I've been trying to tell that to Dumbledore since before your first year," Snape murmured back ever so quietly but Harry understood him perfectly.

Harry cooed, \_Well, he should give you the position. You'll better prepare us to defend ourselves against Voldemort and his Death Eaters._/

"Potter, I agreed to mentor you, I will not mentor others. I find it trying just to teach your classmates Potions without something going wrong," Snape murmured.

\_But we aren't going to learn anything from Umbridge,_/ Harry protested.

"That's not my fault. Blame the Ministry."

\_I do but what if Voldemort attacked Hogwarts and somehow got past the wards? What if he tries to attack us while we are out of school? How will we defend ourselves if we don't know anything?_/ Harry cooed angrily. \_How would you feel if you knew you could have helped the students and they died because you refused to help them?_/

Snape flinched at that and he stayed silent for a long moment. "My duties will get in the way," he murmured quietly. "And besides, Dumbledore would never allow it. He does not wish to cause any more trouble with the Ministry and I have to adhere to his decision. I am sorry, Potter."

Harry glowered at the Potions professor before he cooed in shock when he realized Snape had just _apologized _to _him!_ \_That's the first time you've ever apologized to me,_/ he cooed softly.

Snape glared at Harry. "Don't think of it as a normal occurrence, Potter," he muttered before he continued to eat and Harry cooed softly before settling down and watching as his guardian ate.

"Something seems to have had your dove agitated," Umbridge commented.

"He is just missing one of his companions," Snape lied.

"Oh? Such as who?"

"A friend."

"Ah I see. Is he your familiar?"

Harry let out a cooing laugh and even Snape's lips couldn't help but quirk slightly in amusement. \_Me? Your familiar? Ha,_/ he cooed once he was done laughing.

"No, he is not my familiar. I am just watching him for a friend," Snape replied.

"Oh very well then. The only familiar I have seen around here has been Dumbledore's phoenix so I wouldn't mind seeing another familiar around here."

"When the students come back, you will see many more," Snape assured her.

"I would assume so," Umbridge said with a huff before she went back to eating.

\_Is it just me or is Umbridge a bit different?_/ Harry cooed quizzically.

Snape swallowed the bite of food he had placed in his mouth. "It's just you," he said before he started eating again while Harry cooed angrily back at him.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 11**

**Darth: I liked it**

**Blaze: thanks, chapter 12 will come out whenever I finish typing it. Oh and another thing, I'd rather say the name Padfoot rather than Sirius at times so don't get mad when you see people saying Padfoot rather than Sirius even though they wouldn't do that in canon. This is my own story after all.**

**Darth: cool, what's going to happen?**

**Blaze: the three days will be up, Harry will, this time for sure, transform back and sign the custody papers and they will do an examination of Harry**

**Darth: yay! I just realized something**

**Blaze: what?**

**Darth: you actually managed to get eleven chapters done before you started going into the events of the book or movie**

**Blaze: most of the events in the book or movie won't be used although I'll steal quotes every now and then but the rest of this story will not go by OotP, it will be AU with a few events and quite a few quotes taken from the book or movie**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: so that's a warning. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far and helped me get 85 reviews. So please review, they are much appreciated, and I will post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

The next three days went by quickly and before Hedwig knew it, it was time for her boy to try and transform back. She wasn't entirely sure if her boy could do it but she knew that the human Sirius was likely to help him since the human Sirius could transform himself into a dog, if two years earlier was any indication. Hedwig was actually looking forward to seeing her boy again and she hoped that he wasn't too badly injured when that vile human Vernon beat him.

Hedwig was glad that Harry had a new guardian and she trusted the human Snape for reasons that cannot be fathomed by others. She was looking forward to when her boy would come back and she was glad for the chance to able able to perch on her boy's arm again. She liked having him as a companion when he is in his dove form because she could speak to him but his human form was his natural form after all.

Flying above the Forbidden Forest with Harry at her side, Hedwig glanced at the small dove. \_How's your wing?_/ She hooted quietly.

\_It's fine, Hedwig,_/ Harry cooed back.

\_You'll have to be careful when you transform back because the human Poppy said that you might still experience the pain from the injuries prior to when you transformed into a dove,_/ Hedwig chirped.

Harry tipped his head to one side, momentarily silent before he nodded slowly. \_I sort of figured that I wouldn't be able to overcome the pain I suffered that easily,_/ he cooed quietly.

Hedwig and Harry circled the Forbidden Forest, flying over clearings and thick canopies. Lowering themselves only slightly to fly through the trees, Hedwig and her boy weaved their way through the trees. Hedwig knew that the thing she was going to miss the most about her boy in the form of a dove were the flies they could take together.

The forest was silent as Hedwig and Harry ghosted through them and Harry cooed happily although there was a tinge of sadness in his voice. \_I'm going to miss these flies,_/ he cooed softly.

\_If you can change form then it's likely you'll be able to do so again,_/ Hedwig chirped quietly.

\_Hopefully I will be able to do so,_/ Harry cooed back.

Hedwig chirped before she and Harry flew around swiftly through the Forbidden Forest, enjoying the wind on their wings and against their faces. They continued to fly around until the sun was high in the sky, showing Hedwig and Harry that it was noon. Hedwig glanced at Harry. \_We should head back, Harry. The human Snape said to be back by noon for that is when the human Sirius is to join him to help you transform back,_/ she chirped.

Harry sighed clearly not wanting to leave. \_All right. I'm going to miss flying without a broom,_/ he cooed back before he and Hedwig turned around and allowed the wind current to guide them back to Hogwarts. They flew above the trees before angling their wings toward the school and flying rapidly through the open windows of the school.

Flying through the corridors at each others side, the two birds made their way to the doors of the dungeons just as the human Snape stepped out out of the chambers. "Good, for once you arrived on time," he said.

\_I'm always on time,_/ Harry cooed in protest.

Snape snorted. "Well come along, I do not have all day and the less time I spend with Black the better," he said before he turned around. Hedwig and Harry landed on his shoulders as the Potions Professor stepped through the portrait and into his private chambers. The three of them walked into the living room and Harry cooed \_Sirius!_/ happily before flying off of Snape's shoulders and landing on the shoulders of the human Sirius.

Sirius Black chuckled. "Good to see you too, Harry," he said.

\_So why exactly are you here?_/ Harry cooed.

Snape snorted. "You know very well why he is here, Potter. He is an animagus so he should know how to transform back," he said in reply to Harry's question without translating for Sirius.

Harry lowered his head. \_Yeah, can you ask Sirius if I'll be able to turn back into a dove?_/ he cooed quizzically.

Snape repeated the question to Sirius who narrowed his eyes. "You are an animagus, Harry," he replied. "You'll be able to transform into a dove anytime you wish once you learn how to control it. I don't recommend you start experimenting, though, since it's likely you'll get stuck in your current predicament again."

"May we get on with this?" Snape said a bit irritably. "I really do not wish to prolong this interaction with you, Black."

"I feel the same way, Snape," Sirius retorted before he glanced at Harry who was still perched on his shoulder. "I suggest that you perch yourself on the table or the couch so that when you transform back, you'll be on the ground. The last thing we need is you falling from the sky because you transformed back in the air."

"Merlin forbid," Snape muttered under his breath.

Hedwig glanced at Snape. \_The human Snape seems a bit irritable today,_/ she chirped to Harry.

\_He's always this way,_/ Harry cooed back.

"Always what way?" Snape asked.

\_Irritable._/

Snape scowled at him but didn't reply as he turned to look at Sirius. "Let's get this over with," he said.

Sirius nodded before looking at Harry as the dove flew off of his godfather's shoulder before landing on the table. "All right, you need to concentrate now, Harry," he said. "To revert between your forms when you're an animagus requires much concentration, especially when you are first starting to harness your abilities."

"You never seemed to have a problem with that, Black," Snape sneered.

"Do you mind, Snape? I cannot focus with you yapping away," Sirius snapped.

Snape snorted but otherwise remained silent as Hedwig's boy's godfather turned his gaze back to his godson. "Concentrate Harry," he repeated. "Remember, in order to revert back, you have to want to revert back. Picture your human self in your mind's eye and then concentrate on your want to return to that form. Reverting between forms is more concentration than it is magic."

Harry nodded and Hedwig watched as he closed his eyes and began to concentrate. The snowy owl watched with concern as the room filled with a tense, anticipating silence as if the entire room was holding their breath, watching, waiting. Hedwig could tell that both Sirius and Snape were worried when Harry showed no signs of reverting back to his human form.

"What went wrong?" Snape asked quietly to avoid breaking Harry's concentration.

"Harry must not want to revert back to his human form," Sirius replied so worried that he was speaking with his archenemy in a civilized tone of voice. "His magical strength is strong enough for him to revert back and yet he remains in the same form."

"Why does he not want to revert back?"

"That's a question only Harry can answer."

Hedwig chirped in concern before flying off of her perch and landing at Harry side. \_Harry?_/ she hooted questioningly.

Harry blinked his eyes open before looking at his familiar. \_Why am I not changing back?_/ He cooed back.

\_The human Sirius seems to think you do not wish to return to your human form,_/ Hedwig chirped softly. \_Why not?_/

Harry lowered his head. \_I do want to revert back,_/ he cooed in protest.

\_A small part of you must not, Harry. Why not? Is there any reason as to why you do not wish to be a human boy again?_/ Hedwig asked.

Harry hesitated. \_I don't know. I guess it's...it's because I don't want this to all have been a hoax. __What if I have to go back to the Dursleys after I revert back_?/ He cooed questioningly.

\_The human Snape is trustworthy and he did sign those pieces of parchment that declared he is to take care of you. All you need to do is sign them and you'll never have to return to the human Dursleys again. Is that not what you wanted?_/

\_Well yes, I suppose but..._/

\_Harry, I have told you this before, I trust the human Snape. If he did not wish to be your guardian then he would never have signed the guardianship papers. Not only that but do you honestly believe the human Sirius will let you go back to the Dursleys even if you are safe there?_/

Harry hesitated. \_I suppose not,_/ he cooed quietly.

\_So it stands to reason that if you revert back to your human form then you will still be able to live away from the Dursleys,_/ Hedwig chirped softly.

Harry glanced at his familiar before nodding slowly.

\_Besides, the human Sirius said that you can revert back to your dove form any time even if he recommends you avoid doing so for a while just in case you get stuck as you have now,_/ Hedwig added.

Harry cooed happily. \_I guess you're right._/

\_Now concentrate, Harry, think about your human form, do as the human Sirius suggested and remember to want to return back. Do not let that small part of you control your decision,_/ Hedwig intoned softly.

Harry nodded before he closed his eyes and Hedwig flew away from the table before turning her golden gaze to her boy as Harry began to concentrate once again. Sirius and Snape, who had been conversing quietly with each other, turned to look as one at Harry as the dove shimmered before reverting back to the form of a human boy.

Sirius immediately moved forward before kneeling down beside Harry as the boy sat up on the table, rubbing his eyes beneath the round glasses that he wore and disappeared when he had transformed into a dove. "Harry?" he said softly.

Harry glanced at his godfather before smiling. "Sirius," he whispered before he threw his arms around his godfather and held him close. Hedwig chirped quietly and happily, glad that her boy was back in the form that he was supposed to be in.

* * *

><p>Severus watched the reunion between godfather and godson with little to no emotion showing on his face. On the inside, however, he did feel a small twinge of jealousy but he quickly quenched it, reminding himself that the boy was, technically speaking, his godson as well even if it wasn't legally. He had only understood part of the conversation between Potter and his familiar but he figured Hedwig had convinced Potter to revert back to his human form.<p>

He glanced at Hedwig to confirm it and watched as the snowy owl chirped before lowering her head as if to agree with what Severus was thinking, even if she didn't know his exact thought. Severus turned his obsidian gaze back to Potter and Black as they realized they weren't entirely alone.

Moving back, Potter rubbed his eyes again. "Sorry," he said.

"Whatever for, Harry?" Black protested. "It wasn't your fault that your relatives were idiots and I certainly can't blame you for transforming into a dove to escape the abuse. I am sure Snape will agree with me on that."

Severus snorted, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I suppose so," he admitted grudgingly, he hated having to agree with anything Black says but in this case he did actually agree with the former Marauder.

He would never admit it in words however.

Potter turned his green gaze, so much like Lily's that it sent a pang of pain through his cold heart, to Severus. "So what now?" he asked.

"Other than you signing the guardianship papers and having them filed, you still need to get your stuff for school as it starts in four days," Severus replied. "I am sure Black will assist you on getting your supplies while I speak with the Headmaster and get the papers filed."

Potter nodded. "Where are they?" he asked.

Severus _accio_ed the papers into his hand before handing them to Potter who read through them before calling a quill to his hand and sitting down on the couch, placing the paper on the desk before him. "The terms are simple," Severus said. "I will be your guardian until you turn seventeen. However, if we defeat the dark lord before you turn seventeen then you may decide whether you want me or Black as your guardian. Right now it is much safer that you stay with me as it would be less inconspicuous with the dark lord."

Potter nodded. "I understand," he replied. "I hope that you aren't going to get into trouble with Voldemort over this."

"The dark lord will remain ignorant so long as this does not leak into the ear of Minister Fudge," Severus assured him. "Besides, I can take care of myself Potter."

Potter nodded. "I know that, Professor," he said. "But I don't want to put you in more danger than before."

"Potter, the dark lord will never believe anyone who tells him I took you as my ward. He knows of how much I supposedly hate you, that was one of the reason why he has not asked me to take you to him, another reason was because of Dumbledore. Either way, Potter, the dark lord may not be stupid but that does not mean he is incapable of being ignorant."

"The only thing we need to focus on now is, not only making sure Harry is okay, but also making sure the Ministry never finds out about this, at least not until the dark lord is vanquished," Black added.

"That is why Dumbledore went through Shacklebolt and Bones, the first is a member of the Order while the second is very indiscreet and will keep this news from leaking into the media," Severus said.

"It's a good thing too. What about Umbridge?"

"She'll remain ignorant as well. It's not as if I will be changing my attitude toward Potter while we are at school."

Potter frowned. "So you're still going to be mean to me?" he asked.

Severus sneered. "Of course, Potter. If I were to start being all nice to you like your other Professors than the children of the Death Eaters I work with will instantly know something is up. And then their parent, or parents, will know, then the dark lord will know, and then my cover would be compromised."

"Oh. I was just hoping..." Potter sighed but didn't complete his thought although Severus knew what he was going to say. Potter decided not to repeat it but he did ask, "Can you at least be nice to me when we aren't surrounded by my classmates?"

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Have I not been nice to you since you transformed into a dove, Potter?" he asked. "Even I am not as cold hearted as everyone makes me out to be. I am capable of being at least civilized. Why do you think I have not yet hexed Black to the moon even though a part of me really wants to?"

Black sneered. "And yet you call me childish," he said.

"You are childish, Black."

"So you'll at least be civilized toward me when we are not surrounded by students?" Potter asked more to forestall the blooming argument between Severus and Black.

The master spy glanced at his soon to be ward. "So long as you don't try my patience, Potter," he said. "Besides, I am not always a 'greasy git' as you and your friends call me, I am capable of being civilized in public."

Severus ignored the snorted laughter that had escaped Black's lips.

"But not too civilized or it would blow your cover, right?" Potter asked clearly not hearing, or not bothering on noticing, the snorted laughter that had escaped his godfather's lips.

Severus nodded. "Yes," he replied before he glowered at Black. "Now that this has been taken care of, you may leave. I believe you can show yourself the way out, Black."

Black scowled at him before looking at Potter. "Remember, Harry, this isn't permanent. Come by and visit when you can and I'll try to contact you whenever I can. I'll be back tomorrow, though, to take you to get your stuff," he said before he turned to the floo and stepped into it.

"Grimmauld's Place," he called before he tossed the floo powder down and disappeared in a burst of green flames.

Potter picked up the custody papers before reading through them again as if he couldn't believe that he was within seconds of getting to stay away from the Dursley family forever. Severus watched him, staying silent as he waited for Potter to sign the papers.

Severus was still shocked that Potter had actually requested that he be his guardian and he found himself wondering if this was what Lily would have wanted. His thoughts drifted to the beautiful flaming haired woman that had captured his heart and he found himself glancing at her son. The child was still very young and yet it seemed as though he was bearing the weight of the wizardrying world on his shoulders.

_How can one so young survive that?_ Severus wondered silently as he silently observed the young wizard.

Potter finally placed the papers on the table before lifting the quill and signing his name where it was appropriate for him to do so. Once he finished signing the papers, he placed the quill on the table, lifted the papers into his hands and glanced at Severus who walked over to join him. "So you're my guardian now?" he asked.

Severus nodded shortly before he took the papers from Potter's hands. "I will take these to Dumbledore right away," he said. "For the time being, Potter, you'll stay in my quarters as Umbridge cannot know you are here."

"I really don't like that frilly pink toad," Potter muttered.

"Believe me, Potter, you are not the only one." With that, Severus floo traveled quickly to Dumbldore's office, arriving just as Albus glanced up from his desk.

"What brings you here, Severus?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"Potter transformed back and signed the papers," Severus replied handing the papers over to Albus who nodded before placing them on his desk.

"I will contact Bones and Shacklebolt immediately and have them file the papers without anyone knowing," Albus said before he murmured a quick Notice-Me-Not charm on the papers just as a knock sounded on the door.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge's voice said and Severus scowled.

"Sometimes I wonder if Umbridge knows when I'm here since she always seems to arrive when I'm still here," he muttered. He glanced at Albus. "Well, I will see you later. I must get my classes prepared."

With that and before the pink toad could make her way into Dumbledore's office, Severus turned around before floo traveling back into his quarters.

* * *

><p>Harry glanced up from where he was watching his familiar fly around the room as Professor Snpae walked into the living room out of the floo. "What happened?" he asked.<p>

"I just gave the papers to Dumbledore and then Umbridge decided to show up so I left," Snape replied. It seemed that he disliked Umbridge more than he disliked Harry or Sirius and that was saying a lot considering Snape had practically admitted he didn't like Harry because Harry bore an unkindly resemblance to his father.

"So what now? And what about my stuff? Hedwig said that someone would get it for me," Harry said.

"Dumbledore and McGonagall already have your stuff in your dorm room back in Gryffindor Tower. I would suggest that you go there so that you can pick up your wand and perhaps your familiar's cage but I do not wish to risk Umbridge finding you so I'll have you floo travel there instead."

Harry nodded finding himself feeling better with the thought that he was going to have his wand again. He felt unprotected without it even if, in his dove form, he didn't need it. "Can I go now?" he asked.

"Yes you _may_. When you get back, we will discuss some rules that need to be set down if I am to be your guardian," Snape replied and Harry nodded.

He may not have liked Snape but after hearing everything that Snape had to go through, suffering from the Cruciatous curse, risking his life to spy on the dark lord, all the while keeping a teaching position at Hogwarts, his dislike started to fade away. The fact that Snape had only treated him so badly was, partially, because he was undercover helped Harry to come to terms with who his new guardian was.

Harry had a feeling that Snape would treat him a bit better in class because he would not be seeing him just as the son of James Potter but also the son of his childhood friend Lily.

He also found that he would rather have Snape as an ally than as an enemy and he knew that in order to keep Snape from regretting becoming his guardian, he would have to be on his best behavior. It wasn't likely Snape would put him through the same thing he suffered with the Dursleys and that was do to the fact that he had gone through the same childhood.

Walking to the floo, Harry stepped into it and tossed the floo powder down. "Gryffindor Tower common room," he called before he vanished only to reappear in the common room. He gazed around and spotted his Head of House walking out of her office.

"Harry, welcome back," McGonagall said walking over to join him. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine although I suppose I'm still feeling a bit sore," Harry admitted. _Talk about a delayed reaction_, he thought when he felt the pain from his bruised ribs. "I just came to get my wand and Hedwig's cage."

McGongall nodded. "I suppose you will be staying in Professor Snape's quarters for the time being," she said.

"Professor Snape doesn't want to risk Umbridge finding out I'm here," Harry explained.

"That might be for the best. All right, go ahead and get your stuff and you can use the floo to go back to Professor Snape's quarters."

Harry nodded in reply to his Head of House before he made his way up the stairs leading to his dorm room, all the while trying to block the pain that had suddenly appeared in his side from his mind. When he reached his dorm room, he noticed that his stuff was there and he smiled before quickly looking through it, finding a pair of clothes he could change into, his wand and Hedwig's cage.

Once he had changed quickly, Harry made his way down the stairs before walking to the floo and floo traveling back to Snape's quarters.

Snape glanced up before narrowing his eyes as he examined Harry. "I'll have to speak with your godfather about getting you some new clothes," he said. "Those won't do anymore."

"I don't want to inconvenience you or Sirius, Professor," Harry began.

"Potter, clothing should have been provided by those bloody muggles who had been your relatives but they saw fit to use the money that was supposed to be yours on their overweight son without giving you a share of it. Besides, I have a substantial amount of money that can be used to purchase what you need."

"But Professor..."

Snape let out a long despairing sigh. "Potter, as your guardian, I am entitled to see to your needs and currently your needs are clothes that aren't three sizes to big," he said and Harry was a bit surprised to find a gentle note in his usually stern, harsh, sometimes cruel professor's voice.

Harry placed Hedwig's cage on the table before wincing as he straightened up and Snape narrowed his eyes. "Something wrong with your side?" he asked.

Harry hesitated, the Dursley rules come back full force but he pushed them aside. He had a new guardian, one that already knew the truth behind what happened while he was living with the Dursleys. There was no use in lying when the truth was already out in the open. "My side is hurting," Harry admitted.

Snape got to his feet before walking over to join Harry, his wand sliding out into his hand from the sheath on his arm. Casting a murmured spell that Harry couldn't make out, Snape examined him. "It would seem your ribs are bruised. This was never noticed when you are in dove form because your magic hid it so it would make since that it would reappear now," he said.

He turned his attention to the floo and Harry watched as he placed a floo call to Madame Pomfrey. A moment later, the healer walked out of the green flames and into the Potion Professor's quarters. "So he is suffering from bruised ribs?" she asked.

"Yes but there also seem to be more injuries so I asked you to come over and do a complete examination. I would take him to the infirmary but there's a chance Umbridge will find out and that would not be a good thing."

"Might be a wise choice," Pomfrey replied. "No one can know about your guardianship of Harry yet."

Harry was surprised. "You know?" he asked surprised.

"Potter, the only teacher at this school that does not know that I'm your guardian is Umbridge and that might be for the best."

"Yes, we wouldn't want the Ministry to find out. They would go ballistic if they knew you were the guardian of the Boy-Who-Lived," Pomfrey commented.

"Why?" Harry asked as, at Pomfrey's request, he lied down on the couch and Pomfrey began to wave her wand over him, murmuring a spell under his breath.

"Because they still view me as a Death Eater, Potter, even though Dumbledore stood up for me and spoke for me when the dark lord was defeated, insisting that I was his spy the entire time. It was only because of Dumbledore that I avoided going to Azkaban but the Ministry still thinks I belong there."

"I don't think so," Harry said. "I mean, you may be mean, cruel, harsh, impatient,..."

"Yes, yes, get to the point, Potter."

"...But you still look out for the students and protect them as best as you can, even if they don't notice it."

Snape blinked. "Is it just me or are you becoming more wise than you should be at such a young age, Potter?" he asked.

"It's just you."

Snape glowered at him and Harry smirked. "Payback hurts, doesn't it, Professor?"

"You're lucky we aren't in school, Potter, or I would have deducted points for that cheeky statement."

Harry grinned. "Then it's a good thing we aren't in school," he said.

"Four more days, Potter, and I doubt you'll be able to make it through an entire semester without me deducting points from your house because of something you do."

Harry sighed.

Pomfrey stepped back, her eyes were wide. "His lists of previous injuries is long, Severus," she said glancing at the Potions Professor who walked over to join him. "His ribs are bruised, yes, but his body is covered with scars from old wounds. His arm was broken a few times but thankfully it was set right before it mended itself. He's suffering from malnutrition and even a bit of dehydration although when he was a dove, he quickly brought his dehydration down a bit. I will give you a potion to give to him every day before a meal to help with his malnutrition and bring up his immune system."

Snape nodded although Harry saw surprise glittering in his eyes as if he hadn't expected the list of injuries to be as long as it was. He was examining the entire list while Pomfrey returned to the infirmary before returning later and placing the potion Harry needed to take on the table.

"This is surprising," Snape admitted his eyes turning into black agates. "If I had known the list of what those bloody muggles did to Potter then...it's less likely the Dursleys would have only been sent to prison."

Harry shuddered at the cold tone in his new guardian's voice. The last time he had heard it had been when Snape and the other professors had been interrogating the Dursleys prior to the guardianship being passed on three days earlier.

"Then it is a good thing you are restraining yourself, Severus. If you get sent to Azkaban then not only will the Order lose it's top spy but Harry will likely be placed with Sirius Black, and Sirius isn't yet ready to watch over anyone after the ordeal he suffered at Azkaban."

Snape nodded slowly. "Is this all I need to know?" he asked.

"Yes," Pomfrey replied. "Just remember to give Harry the nutrition potion every day before a meal until his immune system is stronger."

Snape nodded.

"Call me immediately if there are any problems. You'll need to watch Harry closely for a few days to make sure he takes the potion and to make sure he eats healthy. Years of neglect will not make this easy for you, Harry, but you must if you are to become healthy again," Pomfrey said directing the last statement at Harry who nodded in reply.

With that, the healer turned around before disappearing through the floo back to the infirmary and Professor Severus Snape and his new ward, Harry Potter, were left in a comfortable silence.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was an 8 page chapter 12**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup, the next chapter will began the following day and it will focus on a trip to Grimmauld's Place, Snape starting to mentor Harry in defensive spells, and the beginning of school with the introduction of another of my favorite characters**

**Darth: oh, who? Who? Who?**

**Blaze: you'll have to wait and see**

**Darth: bleh**

**Blaze: if anyone can guess which character I'm talking about, please feel free to put them in your review**

**Darth: yup**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 13 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Severus woke up the following morning feeling better than he has felt since the dark lord's return back in June. He didn't know as to why he felt that way and he absolutely refused to admit it had something to do with his new ward. The boy that had come to live with him was a very reserved child and Severus knew it was entirely do to his upbringing with the bloody Dursleys. It was a no wonder Potter seemed to be so quiet in class and only ever spoke with Granger and Weasley; years of living in the Dursleys had installed a sort of distrust of adults.

And Severus seemed to have only made that worse.

Severus blamed that fact on the fact that he had only seen James Potter in the Potter boy and didn't stop to remember that Potter was also Lily's son. The son of the girl that had captured his heart and yet Severus didn't see it, he could only see a smaller version of James with Lily's eyes. Sometimes he wondered if he had remembered Lily when he first met Harry if things would have been different.

He got changed before walking out of his room and was a bit surprised to find Potter already up and sitting on the couch, looking through a book that he apparently had found on one of the shelves. Potter glanced up. "Oh good morning Professor," he greeted him before closing the book and placing it on the table. Severus was a bit surprised to find that it was one of his potions journals.

Deciding not to worry about that right now, Severus narrowed his eyes. "I'll have the house elves bring up some breakfast and then floo call Black so he can take you shopping for what you need for school this year," he said. He paused for a moment before adding, "Afterwards, perhaps I will beginning teaching you some defensive spells."

Potter's eyes gleamed with an excitement that Severus couldn't fathom before he leapt to his feet and hurried into the kitchen, only slowing to a walk when Severus snapped, "Walk, Potter!"

Severus sighed. _Why did I agree to this?_ He thought although he knew the answer, he wanted to make up for how he treated Potter without knowing the real story about Potter's home life. Not only that but he would be able to protect Potter more if Potter was his ward and his promise to Lily had been to protect her son. _The things I do for you, Lily,_ Severus thought before he walked into the kitchen of his private chambers.

Potter was already sitting at the table, watching at the food the house elves had already placed on the table. Severus pointed to the potion beside the plate. "Take that first, Potter," he ordered.

Potter grimaced but nodded before picking up the potion, uncorking it and swallowing it in one gulp, wincing at the taste. "At least it's not as bad as that potion you had me take when I was a dove," he muttered.

Severus didn't reply to that. "Eat, Potter," he said gesturing to the food as he helped himself and Potter hesitated but gradually began to put some food on his plate. At Severus's insistence, Potter filled his plate with a little of everything before he began to eat.

"When is Sirius coming by?" Potter asked curiously after he swallowed a bit of food.

"In an hour or so. He has some business to take care of for Dumbledore and then he'll be coming by."

Potter nodded looking excited. "Can I tell Hermione and Ron about you being my guardian?" he asked.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "You really think they'll be overjoyed to hear that their snarky git of a Potions Professor is your guardian?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, I'm sure Hermione would understand, Ron's another story."

Severus sneered at that before he thought about Potter's question. "They have already sworn a Wizard's Oath to not speak of the Order of the Phoenix or of my part in it so I suppose being your guardian falls in that category. Which reminds me, you still must swear the Wizard's Oath but that can be done when Dumbledore comes by."

"So I can tell them?"

"So long as you make sure they understand that this news is apart of the Order that they swore to never speak about to anyone who doesn't already know about it."

"I understand that, Professor." Potter fell silent before he started to eat again and Severus watched the boy as he ate. He was entirely too skinny and yet he ate very little, he was no Weasley when it came to food but the pitiful amounts that he ate would never allow him to fill out his form, especially now that he was in his teenage years.

_Bloody muggles,_ Severus thought for the up-tempt time since he found out about the Dursleys and their treatment of Potter.

Potter finally managed to finish everything on his plate although it took a bit of encouragement from Severus, which didn't come easy to him, before he glanced up. "Where am I going to stay?" he asked curiously. "I can stay on the couch again until school starts, Professor."

"That is why Dumbledore is coming by, Potter. He doesn't see it as fit for me to have you stay on the couch so he and the house elves are going to add a room to my quarters for you. You will stay there until school starts and during the summer since I spend most of the summer vacation here at Hogwarts."

"Most?"

"Some of it I spend in my mother's home."

"Will I stay there as well?"

"Most likely, Potter, you are my ward now so you are entitled to shelter when you are not in school."

"What about during school? May I come down here during school?"

Severus sneered. "Oh that surely won't give away the truth," he said sarcastically.

Potter flinched at that and Severus reminded himself quickly that he had to be gentle and understanding of abused children. Before Potter could say anything, Severus added, "What I mean is anyone can see you coming down here and that would blow my cover unless you are serving detention, which I'm sure your classmates can see as happening a few times. There is no telling if people will be watching you so I do not wish to take the chance."

"I suppose that makes sense." Was that disappointment in Potter's voice? Surely not.

Severus decided not to worry about that. "Go get ready, Potter, Black will be here soon," he said and the excitement reappeared in Potter's eyes before he leapt to his feet and hurried out of the kitchen, slowing down when Severus reminded him to walk while inside.

Severus stood up as well before making his way into the living room and he wasn't too surprised when his floo flared to life about fifteen minutes later and Black poked his head into the room. "May I come in?" he asked clearly trying to be civil.

"You'll come in anyway so I suppose."

Black glowered at him before disappearing and a moment later his entire body reappeared through the green flames. "Where's Harry?" he asked.

"Getting ready," Severus replied before he glanced up as Hedwig flew toward him before dropping a letter into Severus's hand and, chirping, flew off to find Potter.

"What's that?" Black asked.

"Is it really any if your business, Black?" Severus retorted before he opened the letter and read it:

_Severus,_

_ I will be a little late in coming to your quarters to add another room to it for Harry since Umbridge is insisting I help her sort things out in the DADA classroom. I will get there as soon as possible. By the way, is Padfoot taking Harry to get his stuff? He said he was. Do try to restrain from hexing him._

_ Albus_

Severus smirked. "Albus thinks I'm going to hex you," he said to Black who scowled at him.

"I'm sure you would want to, wouldn't you, Snape?" he retorted.

Severus smirked again. "It would appear Umbridge dragged the headmaster into helping her organize her classroom. In all honesty, I do feel sort of sorry for Albus," he said.

Black chuckled faintly. "As do I but it was his own fault for hiring Umbridge. It pains me to say it but you would be a much better DADA professor."

"I have been trying to convince Albus of that for years but to no avail. He's too stubborn and continues to believe that the DADA position is cursed."

"Another reason why I think it would suit you, Snape."

"Oh shut it, you mangy mutt."

Black smirked before he turned his gaze to the door to the bathroom just as Potter came out, dressed in clothes that Severus had shrunk down to fit him and trying to comb down his unruly mop of black hair. "Hi there, kiddo," he greeted him.

"Hi Sirius," Potter replied with a smile as he placed the comb on the table. "Are we leaving now?"

"Yes, it would be best. The sooner we get your stuff the less likely anyone will spot us."

"The dark lord has not yet called me to inform me of any changes in positions," Severus said. "And no one is watching Diagon Alley right now. If there's any changes then I will send Lupin after you."

Black nodded before looking at Potter. "Come along, Harry," he said before he and Potter floo traveled out of Severus's quarters.

* * *

><p>Harry gazed around Diagon Alley as he followed his godfather down the crowded streets. It would appear that he was the only one getting his school supplies four days before school started but it wasn't as if it was entirely his fault. He didn't mean to transform into a dove; it just sort of happened and he couldn't prevent it.<p>

"Sirius, can I ask you something?" Harry asked suddenly as a thought came into his mind.

Sirius glanced at him. "What's is it, kiddo?" he asked.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were cleared of all charges because Peter Pettigrew was found?"

Sirius was silent for a long moment. "I suppose I just thought you didn't need to know," he admitted. "I take it Snape told you that."

"Yes, he mentioned it when we were speaking while...during that time," Harry amended his statement quickly so that no one would overhear him. It wouldn't be good if the Daily Prophet found out that Harry was getting his stuff late because he had transformed himself into a dove and couldn't transform back for three weeks.

"I figured he would. Come along, let's get the rest of your stuff. Your Hogwarts letter came to Grimmauld's Place, by the way, so I have it with me. Dumbledore delivered that one personally just in case. We wouldn't want people to find out...about what happened a few days ago."

Harry nodded. "So we almost got everything on the list?" he asked.

"Almost, there are some stuff we still need to get, stuff for your potions class and transfigurations. After that, we'll get you some new clothes and then something to eat before we head back to Grimmauld's Place," Sirius said.

Harry nodded before hesitating. "You don't have to get all that stuff for me, Sirius," he said softly.

"Harry, you're my godson. Of course I'm getting this stuff for you. Besides Snape gave me free reign with his Gringgotts account so I'm actually looking forward to spending Snape's money."

"I don't want to inconvenience either you or Snape, Sirius," Harry replied softly.

"You aren't inconveniencing either of us, Snape made it clear that I was to use as much as I needed to get you the stuff you needed. So don't think you're inconveniencing us in any way."

Harry nodded in assent although he couldn't help but remember how his old guardians had treated him and thought he was nothing more than an inconvenience and a burden. It didn't take them long to finish buying everything they needed for the next school year and before long, Harry and Sirius were getting ready to floo travel back to Grimmauld's Place. They were lucky that they hadn't been noticed by anyone important, especially not a Death Eater that may or may not have been in the vicinity.

Floo traveling to Grimmauld's Place to avoid suspicion, Harry gazed around the place. They had traveled directly to Diagon Alley from Snape's quarters so Harry knew that they were likely to come here next. He wondered if Hermione and Ron were still there and his question was answered when Mrs. Weasley jogged over to join him.

"It's good to see you in human form again, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said grabbing Harry into a fierce hug before jumping when Fred and George popped up suddenly at her side. "I said stop doing that!" She exclaimed glaring at her twins.

Fred and George laughed before they glanced at Harry. "Welcome back, Harry," they said in unison.

"Do us a favor and go tell Ronald and Hermione that Harry's back," Mrs. Weasley said and the twins nodded before they cast a spell that transported them away.

"Honestly, they come of age and they decide it's all right to use magic every waking minute," Mrs. Weasley muttered.

Sirius grinned. "I used to do that some times," he said.

"That is an understatement," Remus Lupin said walking over to join them before greeting Harry with a slight dip of his head.

"Harry!" A chorus of yells sounded and Harry suddenly found himself squeezed by Hermione while Ron stood awkwardly to one side. "You changed back," Hermione said with a small smile.

"Sirius and Hedwig helped me," Harry replied before he glanced at Ron. "It's good to see you, Ron."

"You too, Harry," Ron replied. He wasn't the hugging type so he and Harry just shook hands before stepping aside.

"So what happened? Are you going back to the Dursleys? Did they get arrested? What's going to happen to you now?" Hermione asked.

"Why don't we sit down? There's a lot I want to tell you," Harry said before he and his two best friends sat down at the table. Mrs. Weasley disappeared into the kitchen of the apartment before reappearing and placing a cup of hot cocoa in front of Harry, Hermione and Ron who nodded their thanks.

"So what did you need to tell us?" Ron asked taking a sip of his cocoa.

"Well, for one, I just want you to understand that what I'm about to tell you falls into the category of the Order of the Phoenix, meaning you can't tell anyone about it since it'll break your Wizard's Oath," Harry said.

Hermione nodded in understanding and Ron, a few seconds later, nodded as well. "So what is it, mate?" Ron asked.

"Snape's my legal guardian now."

Ron spit out his hot cocoa in his shock. "What?" he exclaimed. "That greasy git is your guardian!"

"How did this happen?" Hermione asked.

"Well, we discussed it while I was still a dove," Harry said. "Since apparently, I'm destined to met the dark lord, I figured that Snape could teach me more than anyone else can on how to defend myself. Not only that but do you really think the dark lord would think to look for me in one of his most trusted Death Eater's care since he knows I'm not with the Dursleys anymore?"

"So it's only for protection?" Ron asked.

"We agreed that when the dark lord is defeated, if Snape doesn't want to be my guardian anymore then he can sign over guardianship to Sirius but until then, he's my legal guardian."

"What did you do to deserve that?"

"It's better than living with the Dursleys," Harry said quietly. "At least Snape treats me like a human being while the Dursleys just saw me as a burden."

Hermione smiled. "I understand, Harry," she said. "I'm sure Snape will be a good guardian to you."

"Yes and we'll also see the dark lord dancing in a pink tutu," Ron muttered.

"That's a very disturbing image," Harry said with a shudder. "But you must understand, Ron, that Snape is the best choice. The dark lord will never suspect him and that means I'll be more protected."

"That is true," Ron admitted. "I suppose it's only temporary after all and you can go with your godfather after the dark lord is defeated, right?"

"That or when I turn seventeen, it depends on how long it takes to defeat Voldemort."

"True."

Sirius walked over to join them. "Snape wants you to come back now, Harry," he said.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in school," Harry said to Hermione and Ron who nodded in agreement.

"If you need any help, mate, don't hesitate to owl me," Ron said.

"Me as well," Hermione said before she hugged Harry and Harry followed Sirius toward the floo to travel back to his new guardian's quarters.

* * *

><p>Severus glanced over his shoulder as Potter quickly tried to keep up with his long strides and he gradually slowed his pace a bit to allow the boy to keep up with him.<p>

"Where exactly are we going?" Potter asked when he finally managed to get to Severus's side.

"There's a clearing just within the Forbidden Forest that Hagrid deemed safe to use for your training," Severus replied. "It is located just within the wards of the school but also far enough out to where no one will be able to notice us, least of all Umbridge."

Potter nodded before he came to a stop right behind Severus as the Potions Professor stepped into the clearing. Potter gazed around the clearing and noticed that it was empty and surrounded with tall trees with a thick canopy covering the clearing. "Are you sure no one will notice us here?" he asked.

"I'll cast a Notice-Me-Not charm and also cast some protective charms to make sure the forest doesn't get hit with any spells that are tossed at it," Severus replied before his wand slid into his hand and he cast the spells quickly.

"First of all, I want to know how much you already know," he added after the spells were cast.

"We didn't learn much in DADA the last four years," Potter admitted. "I know how to disarm a person though."

"We will focus on that for now and see how well you can defend yourself before I start teaching you more advanced moves."

Potter nodded and the two of them separated before they squared of against each other, their wands held at a ready. "When do we...?" Potter began.

"_Expelliarmos_," Severus said casting the spell and Potter's wand was sent flying.

"Hey, I wasn't ready," Potter protested as he bent to pick up his wand.

"Always be ready, Potter, that is the key or else a spell will hit you. Do you think your opponent will wait while you get ready?"

Potter flushed. "No," he said before he readied himself again. "_Expelliarmos_," he called casting the spell but Severus glided to the side easily before casting a stunning charm at Potter that the boy barely dodged out of the way of.

"Another good spell to use to stop charms like the stunning charm is the Shield Charm, did you learn that?"

Potter nodded.

"Then use it whenever you need to use it. _Stupefy!_"

"_Protego!_" Potter shouted and a blue shield appeared around him, deflecting the stunning charm back at Severus who easily deflected it.

"Good so far, Potter," he said. "You've got the shield charm down as well as the disarming charm. Let's see how well you do with using the stunning charm."

Potter nodded. "_Stupefy_," he shouted.

"_Protego,_" Severus said a bit lazily, waving his wand and the shield appeared in front of him deflecting the stunning charm back at Potter.

"_Protego,_" Potter said hastily but just in time and the stunning charm slammed into the shield before slamming into a nearby tree.

"Good. Remember always think ahead. If you are going to cast the stunning charm then make sure to prepare yourself should your opponent counteract it," Severus said.

Potter nodded slowly. "I did learn some of this in DADA," he admitted. "But I couldn't practice it much out of school since I wasn't of age yet."

"That would put you out of practice. If you don't practice these spells constantly then it's likely you'll forget them. Now then, I hear that you can cast the Patronus charm, yes?"

Potter nodded. "I cast it in third year," he said.

"Let's see it then."

Potter nodded. "_Expecto patrona!_" he shouted pointing his wand in the air and the ghostly image of a stag appeared before them, bringing back a few memories that Severus really didn't wish to relive but he pushed them to the back of his mind as he nodded in satisfaction.

"The Patronus charm will come in handy if you should need to call for help quickly," he said. "As well as fight off dementers should they attack."

Potter quickly banished the patronus. "Won't we get into trouble for using magic when we aren't in class?" he asked.

"What the Ministry doesn't know won't hurt them. This place is spelled to prevent anyone from figuring out what is going on here. That is why I chose it and that is why Hagrid told me of its location. The Forbidden Forest keeps everything that happens in this clearing a secret with its' own magic. Therefore the Ministry will never find out what is going on so long as we do not use these spells anywhere else. It is specifically for this clearing."

"Why?"

"I do not know and Hagrid didn't even know. The Forbidden Forest is a mysterious place and many things can happen here."

Potter shuddered. "Yes," he replied.

"Besides, you'll be allowed to use magic while you're in school so long as it's not in the hallways or against other students."

"I was a bit worried about that. I mean, if we get caught then won't I get expelled from Hogwarts?"

"Yes but once again no one knows about this place."

Potter nodded. "_Stupefy_," he shouted suddenly and the stunning charm, catching Severus off guard, slammed into him and sent him flying to the ground.

"Are you all right, Professor?" Potter asked worriedly as Severus pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Good way to catch your opponent off guard, Potter," Severus said getting to his feet. "And yes I am fine, it was merely a stunning charm after all."

Potter smiled faintly.

"Don't you dare repeat what just happened here to anyone, Potter," Severus added in a growl. If everyone knew he got stunned by a fifth year boy then his reputation would definitely be ruined.

"My lips are sealed," Potter said although the big grin did not slide off of his face.

"Wipe that grin off your face, Potter."

Potter smiled but the grin faded ever so slowly and Severus could tell he was happy that he had been complimented by the sometimes harsh and cruel Potions Professor.

"Don't think you'll be able to catch me off guard next time, Potter," Severus added in a growl.

Potter smiled. "I know, Professor, but it was nice while it lasted," he said.

"Once again, Potter, you're lucky we aren't in school right now."

Potter laughed at that.

Severus snorted before rolling his eyes skyward but didn't say anything in reply even as he attempted to stop his lips, which were quirking in the beginnings of a smile.

* * *

><p>"So I'll drop you off at King's Cross and you'll ride the train to Hogwarts, right?" Sirius asked.<p>

"Yes, Sirius."

"I don't see why I can't go with you."

"I want to spend some times with my friends without an adult looking over my shoulder."

"I won't be looking over your shoulder, kiddo," Sirius protested.

Snape snorted.

"Stay out of this, Snape."

"I did not say anything," Snape replied.

Harry rolled his eyes as Sirius glowered at the Potions Professor before glancing back at Harry, who was standing beside Ron and Hermione, all of which were getting ready to head to platform 9 ¾. "They do that all the time," he said.

"I fear what would happen if we left them in the same room together," Ron mused.

"One wouldn't be coming out of it."

Hermione shook her head. "I honestly doubt that," she said. "They've been nothing but civil toward each other since you two arrived."

"That's only because Sirius knows Snape is my guardian."

"Still, wouldn't it be a site to see those two in the same room together? I wonder if Snape would walk away from it," Ron said.

Snape glowered at Ron. "You should be more worried about Black than me, Weasley," he retorted clearly hearing Ron's words.

"Oh you think I can't take care of myself," Sirius protested.

"No, I just don't think you could actually last being in the same room with me."

"Just because you were once a Death Eater doesn't mean you can defeat me."

"Do you want to bet on that?"

"Yes, yes I do!"

"Now stop it you two," Mrs. Weasley snapped walking over to join them while Snape and Sirius glared daggers at each other. "We'll have none of that here."

"Of course, Molly," Snape said smoothly.

Harry sighed before glancing at his friends and he could tell they were ready to go just as much as he was.

It didn't take them long to reach platform 9 ¾ after Sirius dropped Harry and his friends off, board the train and travel to Hogwarts so Harry wasn't all to surprised when they reached Hogwarts earlier than usual. He did see Cho Chang, the girl that Cedric Diggory had taken to the Yule Ball the year before, the year he was killed, sitting with her friends on one of the magically drawn carriages.

He turned his attention back to the carriage that he was to take and frowned when he spotted a horse like creature drawing the carriage. "What's that?" he asked curiously.

Hermione frowned. "What's what?" she asked.

"That creature pulling the carriage."

"There's nothing pulling the carriage, Harry, it's pulling itself like always."

Harry shook his head. _Great, I'm seeing things now,_ he thought before he glanced up as Neville Longbottom walked over to join him. "Hi Neville," he greeted him.

"Hi Harry, Hermione, Ron," Neville replied before the four of them walked over to the carriage and Harry found himself examining the creature again.

"You're not going crazy," a sudden voice sounded and Harry glanced up as a platinum blond girl sitting in the carriage glanced up. "I can see him too."

Harry frowned, wondering who this was as he, Hermione, Ron and Neville climbed onto the back of the carriage.

"Guys, this is Luna Lovegood," Hermione introduced the girl who nodded in greeting before returning to reading the paper in her hands.

"She seems...odd," Ron muttered.

"Don't be rude," Hermione snapped elbowing Ron sharply in the side.

Harry glanced at the horse like creature that was pulling the carriage and he found himself wondering as to why it was that only he and Luna could see the horse. He glanced at Luna but the blond didn't glance up from her reading as the carriage steadily began to make its' way to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: yeah, I know the part with Luna wasn't that long but she'll be used often in this story**

**Darth: are you going based on the books?**

**Blaze: nope, not at all. I am going to keep some of the things the same but I'm sure I said it before but this story is not going to be by the book's plotline at all**

**Darth: it's completely AU then**

**Blaze: so AU that I am only taking quotes from the story but otherwise everything will be different**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 14 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

Luna Lovegood was an interesting girl, Ron could tell that immediately and he also knew that apparently Hermione already knew her. How, he didn't have the slightest clue. He glanced at Harry as the three of them, with Luna and Neville behind them, made their way to the Great Hall, and he found himself wondering how things were going to change now that Snape was Harry's guardian.

_Snape_ of all people was Harry's guardian. Ron still found it very hard to believe even though he knew that it was true. If it wasn't then Harry would not have insisted on telling Ron and Hermione to classify this information as being information apart of the Order of the Phoenix that they were sworn to keep to themselves.

As they entered the Great Hall, Ron noticed that the staff table had a few new additions to it, one being a frilly pink elder woman with reddish hair sitting beside an uncomfortable Snape. Ron smirked slightly but Snape, as if sensing that Ron was looking at him, tossed him a 'shut it' glare that quickly quenched the thought that was forming in his mind.

Sitting down beside Harry and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, Ron watched as this year's first years walked forward to get sorted into their houses. After that was done, Dumbledore stood up and began his customary first day of school speech, reminding everyone to stay out of the Forbidden Forest and also saying that they had two new professors on staff.

"I would like all of you to please welcome Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons and Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore said indicating the new teachers and Ron found he didn't like Umbridge almost immediately.

He could tell that Harry didn't either and he figured Harry had met Umbridge before so he decided to ask him about the new DADA teacher as soon as they got back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Also, tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"

Dumbledore was cut off as Umbridge suddenly stood up. "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," she said sweetly. "Well, it's lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me."

"Happy little faces?" Harry muttered. "More like faces tossing 'stop talking' glares at her."

Ron smiled faintly. "I already don't like her and she's teaching DADA?"

"I'm so not looking forward to those classes," Hermione admitted.

"That's shocking," Ron gasped. "Hermione isn't looking forward to classes, amazing."

Hermione glowered at him.

After the dinner at the Great Hall, Harry, Hermione and Ron went back to the common room of Gryffindor tower and Ron could tell almost immediately that things were going to be horrible for the first couple of days, what with the way everyone was glaring at Harry. "What's their problem?" Ron muttered.

"Seamus, what's going on?" Harry asked one of his friends and Seamus glanced at him, a scowl plastered on his face.

"You do realize that my mum almost didn't let me come to school this year," he said curtly.

"Why?"

"Because of you. She reads the Daily Prophet and everyone is saying that you're lying about the dark lord's return," Seamus said.

Harry frowned. "I saw him return," he protested. "He killed Cedric Diggory! I was there, I saw everything!"

"So you say."

"Dumbledore believes it's true."

"Only because you told him."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "Do you really think Harry would lie about something as serious as this," he demanded. "And why do you believe the Daily Prophet anyway?"

"Ron's right. The stories in the Daily Prophet are usually lies or exaggerated truths," Harry said.

Seamus snorted. "We only have your word on what happened at the end of last year," he said.

"Mine and Dumbledore's," Harry retorted.

Seamus snorted before he turned his back on Harry and Harry, hurt, glanced at Ron who smiled faintly. "Don't let him bug you, mate," he said. "He's stupid if he doesn't believe you."

"I suppose so," Harry said softly before he followed Ron up the stairs toward their dorm room. Ron found that he and Harry really weren't going to enjoy this school year if everyone kept glaring at Harry as if he had done something incredibly wrong.

* * *

><p>Harry sighed as he entered the DADA classroom with Hermione and Ron at his side. This was the class he was looking forward to least of all and he found himself wishing that he had Potions again. At least he was used to the snide comments Snape tossed at him constantly and anything was better than being in the same room with the frilly pink toad that he first met when he was a dove.<p>

As he sat down beside Ron with Hermione sitting in front of them, he watched as a paper bird was sent flying across the classroom by one of the students in the front and he smiled, amused, as students alike either blew the bird away or hit it with their hands as it flew, spiraling into the air. That was until a blast of fire caught it and sent it cascading down onto the table, landing in a pile of ash.

Everyone looked up as Professor Umbridge walked into the classroom. "Good morning class," she greeted them before her wand pointed toward the chalkboard and the word OWL was written on it. "That is what we are going to be focusing on this year so that you can be better prepared to pass your OWLS." She waved her wand again and books began to distribute themselves amongst the students and Harry glanced at the cover. It read _Defense Against the Dark Arts. A Return to Basic Principles._

Ron flipped through the pages, his face growing sullen as he turned each page over. "This shows us nothing on how to prepare ourselves should we ever get attacked," he whispered to Harry.

"Tell me about it," Harry agreed. He was once again glad that he would be getting tutoring in defensive spells from Snape. Even if Snape was strict and harsh in his teaching methods, at least he actually _taught_ Harry something.

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Umbridge said.

"This book doesn't show anything about defensive spells," Hermione said gesturing to the book.

"Oh of course not. Why on earth would you need to know such spells?" Umbridge asked.

"What if we're attacked?" Harry protested.

"Oh dear, who would think to attack children?"

"Oh I don't know, perhaps Voldemort," Harry said.

A few people began whispering at the mention of the forbidden name while others glared at Harry angry that he would bring that up.

"Mr. Potter, hands will be raised when someone needs to speak. I can assure you that the return of the dark lord is just a widely spread rumor," Umbridge said.

"So what? Cedric Diggory just dropped dead on his own," Harry snapped.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragedy," Umbridge snapped back.

"I saw the dark lord return, I was there. Are you honestly going to keep us ignorant against the dark lord should he attack?"

"Detention Mr. Potter," Umbridge snapped angrily. "I will not have disrespect in my classroom."

Harry glowered sullenly at the DADA professor, he didn't like her even more than ever before.

Ron whistled softly. "Amazing, Umbridge gave you a detention before Snape did," he said softly.

"I didn't even deserve it, I was merely pointing out the truth," Harry muttered in reply.

Later that day, Harry quickly wrote a brief letter to his guardian to tell him that he won't be able to stop by for the training sessions today. He didn't explain why; Professor Snape was busy enough without having to bother knowing why Harry was doing what he was doing

Unfortunately, Snape didn't seem to be thinking the way same way that Harry was for Hedwig returned a moment later with a letter.

_Mr. Potter,_

_What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into on the first day of school? Honestly, you're worse than your father when it comes to getting into trouble. I want to know why you cannot come and then I will reschedule for, perhaps, this weekend so long as the excuse is plausible._

_Professor Snape_

_Git,_ Harry thought. It wasn't as if he had meant to get into trouble. He kept that thought in his mind as he wrote a reply back. As he wrote, he found himself wondering if Snape actually cared enough to be worried about what trouble he got into or if it was just his way of keeping the promise he made to Harry's mother.

_Professor Snape,_

_In all honesty, I just mentioned Voldemort to Umbridge and how she wasn't going to teach us how to defend ourselves and she gave me detention tonight._

_Harry_

He sent the letter with Hedwig before standing up and getting ready to head to Umbridge's office. When he arrived, a while later, he knocked on the door before poking his head inside and Umbridge glanced up. "Ah hello Mr. Potter, please come in," she said.

Harry walked into the pink office and noticed that there were many cat pictures hanging on the wall. The sight made him positively sick but he gritted his teeth to quench the feeling and walked over to the desk.

Umbridge placed a quill on the table before gesturing to the parchment. "You will write _I will not tell lies_," she said.

"How many times?" Harry asked sullenly.

"Oh until it sinks in," Umbridge replied before she paced around the office and Harry, resisting the urge to scowl at the pink toad, nodded before he picked up the quill.

"Professor, you didn't give me any ink," he said suddenly.

"You won't be needing it."

Harry placed the quill on the piece of parchment before he started to write and suddenly pain appeared in his hand as he wrote. Clenching and unclenching in fingers, Harry noticed, with some horror, that the words he was writing were engraving themselves into his skin. He stopped and Umbridge glanced at him.

"Something the matter?" she asked.

"No, Professor," Harry muttered before he started to write again, wincing as the words continued to engrave themselves into his skin.

* * *

><p>Severus walked down the corridors of Hogwarts to make sure that everyone was in their common room as it was past curfew. He noticed that there were a few people out but a quick glare sent them, some of which were Hufflepuffs, scurrying quickly toward their common rooms. As he walked, he found himself thinking about Potter and the detention that he had with Umbridge. <em>Detention for merely saying that Umbridge wasn't teaching them anything? Even I am not that cruel,<em> he mused silently as he walked onward.

He paused when he spotted Potter making his way down one of the revolving staircases and he moved to intercept him as he could see other students starting to stop and talk with each other rather than hurry to their rooms. They weren't supposed to be out this late as it is.

"Mr. Potter, what are you doing out of your common room so late?" Severus said smoothly as he came to a stop at his ward's side.

The students who were standing nearby blanched slightly at the sight of the Potions Professor.

"I had detention, sir," Potter mumbled and Severus narrowed his eyes when he heard pain in the boy's voice.

"You should be back in your common room," he said curtly in reply. "Ten points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew."

Adding more quietly, he said, "What's the matter, Potter?"

Potter lowered his head. "My hand hurts," he murmured quietly.

"Come along," Severus said shortly. "I suppose I will have to escort you back to your common room so you won't get lost again." He tossed a glare at nearby students who were glaring at him. "Get back to your common rooms, now!" he barked out sharply and the students immediately went running to their dorm houses.

Once the corridors were clear, Severus took Potter's hand, the one that he was clutching, before turning it over and swearing when he saw the red words written on his pale skin. "Why that bloody little idiot," Severus growled angrily. "How dare she use that abomination? It was outlawed years ago."

Potter glanced up. "It was?" he asked. "What is it exactly, Professor?"

"A blood quill," Severus said curtly. "Come, the Headmaster must be informed of this."

"Wait," Potter protested.

"Potter, this is something that cannot go on in this school. Dumbledore must know about it."

"But..."

"Potter, do not argue with me on this."

"We don't need to bother Dumbledore with it. I don't want more attention drawn to me. It's bad enough that everyone is calling me a liar behind my back because they actually believe what's in the Daily Prophet," Potter protested.

_Stubborn little brat._ "Very well, I will bring it up with your Head of House but I will keep your name out of it, will that satisfy you? Either way, the Headmaster will learn about this," Severus said curtly. "Now let's get going before I have to deduct more points."

"You're the one's that's keeping me, Professor."

"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Mr. Potter." Inwardly, Severus smirked. _I did warn him that it wouldn't be long before he lost points from Gryffindor,_ he thought.

Once he reached the common room, he gestured for Potter to enter it. "And tell Professor McGonagall that I wish to speak with her immediately," he added.

Potter nodded before he murmured the password to the fat lady and entered the common room. A few moments later, Minerva walked out before glowering at Severus. "What's the meaning of this? And why did you deduct points from my house?" she asked curtly.

"Mr. Potter was out past curfew because he had to serve detention with Umbridge," Severus replied before he gestured briefly with his wand and a Silencing charm was cast over them. "Potter doesn't want his name used when you report this to the Headmaster, Minerva, but Professor Umbridge used a blood quill on him during detention," he added.

Minerva's eyes flashed with anger. "Why that..." she broke off. "Are you sure?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"I saw the words written on Potter's hand, Minerva. It was a blood quill all right. Potter doesn't wish for his name to be used because he says that it'll just draw more attention to him. Everyone already thinks he's lying about the return of Voldemort even though the Order knows that it's true."

"I will tell the Headmaster and I'll bring the matter to Umbridge's attention as well," Minerva promised before she waved her wand and the Silencing Charm was canceled. "Next time, Severus, do not take points from my lions just because they were serving detention," she added to keep up appearances.

"Tell your little lions to not get detention and to be inside by curfew and I will not," Severus retorted also to keep up appearances before he turned around and drifted away back toward the dungeons.

* * *

><p>"What did that idiot do to you?" Hermione exclaimed when she saw the bloody words that were written on Harry's hand. "Umbridge should get fired for this."<p>

"They won't fire her because the Ministry will want to know why and they'll find out about me. That'll just draw more attention to me," Harry replied.

Hermione shook her head. "Snape knows, right?" she asked quietly. "Is he telling McGonagall?"

"That's what he told me. He told me he'd also keep my name out of it to avoid attention being drawn to me," Harry added.

"Well, at least having an Order member as your guardian does have it's advantages," Ron mused.

"He did take fifteen points from Gryffindor though."

"Why that greasy git!" Ron exclaimed. "It wasn't your fault that you got detention."

"I'm sure it was more to keep up appearances than anything," Harry said.

Hermione smiled faintly. "I'm glad that you finally have someone who cares enough about you to actually bring this blood quill thing to Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster's attention," she said.

Harry sighed. "I just hope the students won't be able to put two and two together," he admitted.

"I'm sure that won't be the case."

"Well, I'm going to get some sleep." Harry stood up.

"Shouldn't you get something for your hand first?" Ron asked concerned.

"No, it's fine," Harry assured him before he made his way toward his dorm room. Hermione watched him go before looking at Ron, concern in her brown eyes.

"He's too stubborn to admit when he's in pain," she said softly.

"Well look at who his guardians were," Ron pointed out. He stood up before adding, "I'll go try to convince him to get it looked at."

"Good luck."

Hermione watched Ron jog up the stairs before she sighed and returned to her studies.

A few days later, Hermione, Ron and Harry were heading out toward their next class at lunch when they, and the rest of the students, stepped in on a heated discussion between McGonagall and Umbridge.

"This is an abomination, Dolores," McGonagall snapped. "Using a blood quill on students? That is illegal. It's a miracle that the Ministry is actually allowing you to do this."

"Who are you to tell me what to do and what not to do in my own classroom and to my students?" Umbridge retorted sweetly.

"It is cruel, Dolores and I will not condone it anymore. The headmaster may let you get away with it but I will not."

"The headmaster insists that I may continue to practice this, Minerva, so I will. This school is full of disrespectful students who need to be taught discipline and I am sure the Ministry of Magic will agree with me," Umbridge said before she walked past McGonagall and, glaring at Harry, she disappeared toward her classroom.

Fuming, McGonagall also stalked to her classroom.

"A blood quill? Really?" Seamus gasped.

"That's never been used before," Neville said quietly.

"I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to hear that conversation," Hermione said softly. "Come on, we should be getting to class."

The others nodded but Hermione could tell that they were thinking about the argument that they had just heard.

_The Ministry is definitely interfering here at Hogwarts, _Hermione thought as she made her way to her next class.

* * *

><p>"Umbridge is going to be <em>what?<em>" Severus exclaimed when the news of what the Daily Prophet said reached him.

"The Minister has appointed her as High Inquisitor here at Hogwarts," Albus replied. "That means, she'll be able to make rules and fire whoever she wishes."

Severus shook his head, he felt a headache coming on. "That's not good," he grumbled. "Are you absolutely sure there's nothing you can do about this?"

"I am afraid not, Severus. Minister Fudge is paranoid and he wants Umbridge to come up with anything that may be used against him."

"He shouldn't be afraid of us he should be afraid of the dark lord, that bloody imbecile!"

"He is still putting off everything learned after the Triwizard Tournament as false," Albus admitted.

"I felt the dark lord return, my dark mark flared when he was reborn. And Potter saw the dark lord himself. How else do you supposed Cedric Diggory died?"

"I am not saying that this isn't true, Severus, I am merely saying that the Ministry of Magic believes it isn't true," the headmaster replied.

Severus scowled. "At this rate, we'll be sitting ducks when the dark lord finally decides to attack," he muttered before he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Albus asked.

"I need some air," Severus muttered before he left Dumbledore's office.

Later that day, Severus walked over to the Owlery before giving the note he had written on the way to Hedwig. "Take this to Potter," he ordered.

Hedwig chirped before she spread her wings and flew down from the owlery while Severus started walking again, this time heading toward the Forbidden Forest.

The note had said clearly that Potter was to bring his father's invisibility cloak, a cloak that Dumbledore had given to him in first year. It would provide Potter with the perfect way to escape the castle without being caught by Umbridge.

Waiting in the clearing, Severus watched as the fronds moved and the hood of the cloak lowered to reveal Potter. "You wanted to see me, Professor," he said.

"Please do not do that, Potter. It looks odd to see only a floating head," Severus retorted and Potter chuckled faintly before lowering the invisibility cloak and placing it on the ground. Casting the proper spells, Severus turned to look at Potter.

"The Ministry of Magic is growing more paranoid each second," he grumbled. "It would appear Minister Fudge is getting so paranoid that he appointed Umbridge as High Inquisitor, which means she has most of the powers of office that Dumbledore has."

"Oh that's not good but why are you telling me this?"

"Because, Potter, we need to speed up your training. You need to learn more because Umbridge is likely to put up rules that'll restrict your movements more than ever before, which will mean less time to train and you need all the training you can get."

"Did the dark lord call you?"

"No but I feel it will not be long before he does."

Potter nodded before he pulled out his wand. "I"m ready," he said.

Severus nodded before he pulled out his wand as well and the two of them started off at a standstill before they began dueling.

This went on for days. Each day, Potter would sneak out of the castle to join Severus and they would start dueling, learning new spells, practicing old ones and working on techniques when attacking. At the same time, Umbridge was passing rule after rule after rule sat Hogwarts, restricting their movements to were Severus had to assign Potter detention just to get a chance to teach him some more. Through the training sessions, Severus found that he rather enjoyed dueling with his new ward, even if he was stubborn to admit it out loud, and he had a feeling that Potter liked it as well.

On the fifth day, Potter walked into the office and Severus glanced up at him. "It's about time you got here, Mr. Potter," he ground out before he cast a Silencing charm over the office."We'll have to be careful for Dumbledore could pop up at any moment."

Potter nodded. "Can I ask you something first?" he asked.

"You _may._"

"I was wondering...do you suppose when we are alone, you can stop calling me 'Potter'?" Potter asked hesitantly as if expecting his guardian to say no.

Severus was stunned momentarily and his obsidian eyes narrowed. "Why?" he asked.

"Well, you are my guardian and well..." Potter shrugged.

"Shrugging is not an answer, Potter."

"I know and I'm sorry. I was just hoping that you would actually...like me enough to start calling me by my name rather than my last name."

Severus sneered slightly although he had to admit that he was starting to like spending time with his ward. The boy wasn't anything like James now that Severus has had a chance to get to know him more, he was more like Lily than anyone else. _And he is my ward,_ Severus thought.

"Very well, Harry," he said finally after a few more moments of silence.

Harry's eyes gleamed with shock and appreciation. "Thank you, Professor," he said.

"If we're going to be on a first name basis then you may as well call me Severus. But call me that in class or anywhere we are surrounded by students and you'll be scrubbing cauldrons until summer!"

Harry laughed. "I'll remember...Severus," he said.

"Well, come on, we do not have all day." Severus led the way into the living room. "I've already charmed everything in here so that they will not be destroyed should any spells hit them."

Harry looked relieved at that. "All right," he said before the two of them faced each other, their wands held at a ready.

"_Expelliarmos,_" Harry shouted tossing the spell at Severus who easily dodged it.

"_Incendio_," he called back and a burst of flames emerged from his wand.

"_Aquamenti!_" The water doused the flames easily and so the duel between guardian and ward went on, with hexes, mild curses and spells being tossed back and forth between the dueling people. As they dueled, Severus couldn't help but admire how easily Harry picked up on new skills; his movements were still rough but with a bit more training he would have the fluid skills that would serve him well in a battle.

_Oh Lily, you would have been so proud,_ Severus thought as he dodged a stunning charm and tossed his own back at Harry who quickly pulled up a shield charm that deflected the blow back at Severus who moved quickly to deflect it.

The duel went on and on for several long moments and in that time, an almost tentative friendship seemed to grow between Severus and the boy he had thought he would hate forever. A friendship that Severus never thought he would experience again ever since his beloved Lily had died.

And Severus found that he was glad that he and his ward could be friends with each other not just out of necessity.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and so the friendship has been formed**

**Darth: and this is not slash**

**Blaze: I'm sure I made that obvious when I kept saying Guardian and Ward**

**Darth: I'm just making sure everyone knew, that's all**

**Blaze: also this story skips around a lot so be forewarned that Dumbledore's Army is coming into the picture after Umbridge was appointed as High Inquisitor, although I have a feeling that's how it was in the movie but this is AU after all**

**Darth: yup, I suppose so**

**Blaze: (laughs) well that was chapter 14 and I hope that you liked it, reviews are much appreciated and I will post chapter 15 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

Harry, exhausted after dueling with Severus for an hour straight, made his way back to his common room. He moved quickly so that he would avoid running into Umbridge and the fact that Umbridge was High Inquisitor didn't help things at all. He dodged around the corner before coming to a stop beside the fat lady's portrait. Murmuring the password, he slipped into the common room and walked over to join his friends.

"How was detention with Snape? Was he harsh?" Ron asked as Harry sat down beside him with a long heavy sigh.

"No," he replied. "Just exhausting. He had me scrubbing cauldrons."

"That git."

"It's not nearly as bad as what I had to do at the Durlseys."

"Yea but still."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Did you finish your DADA homework?" she asked.

"No, I didn't understand it," Ron said.

"I only got about half of it done," Harry admitted.

"Well, I suppose I can let you copy the rest," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes. "We don't want Umbridge to be given a reason to send you to detention."

"Tell me about it," Ron muttered. "I don't like her."

"No one does," Harry admitted. "It's amazing that Umbridge is taking everyone's dislike away from me."

Ron laughed. "I find that a good thing," he said.

Harry smiled faintly in reply.

The following day, the news that Umbridge was Hogwarts first High Inquisitor spread through the school like a wildfire and it changed things dramatically. Students began to detest Umbridge more than they detested Harry for supposedly lying about the return of the dark lord. Seamus also seemed to be coming around to Harry and was starting to speak to him again, insisting that he was sorry for being an idiot.

"My mother told me that Umbridge being made High Inquisitor was by the far the worst mistake the Ministry could have made," Seamus commented.

"The Ministry is paranoid," Hermione said with a snort. "They think that Dumbledore is going to take power away from them when all Dumbledore is doing is preparing us for the dark lord's return."

"The Daily Prophet is over-exaggerating things again," Ron growled out. "It's not Dumbledore the Ministry should be afraid of and yet they are too blind to see that."

"Yes, so my mother said," Seamus said softly.

"What made you change your mind about what I've been saying all along?" Harry asked curiously.

Seamus looked away. "My father was attacked by minions of the dark lord," he said softly. "He barely survived but he was coherent enough to admit that the dark lord had been there during the attack. The Ministry is keeping the attack under wraps but my parents have already told other parents who've told other parents and so on."

"So more people believe me now?"

"Yes although all of Slytherin, most of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw and half of Gryffindor don't."

Harry sighed before he glanced up at the staff table where Severus was, surprisingly, absent. _I wonder where he is. Did he get called by the dark lord?_ He wondered silently.

After lunch, Harry got his answer as he was the first one in class while Hermione and Ron had told him they wanted to speak with Luna and drifted off. Harry spotted Severus sitting at his desk, grading papers but also occasionally rubbing his head and arm.

"Professor?" he called softly.

Severus glanced up before narrowing his eyes and gazing around. When he noticed that they were alone, he gestured for Harry to join him. "The dark lord is still ignorant of your current guardianship," he murmured. "But he decided to make his presence known. He decided that the Ministry was too paranoid to even consider the possibility of an attack by him so he attacked Mr. Finnigan's father. Unfortunately, he insisted that I be apart of the attack."

"Seamus's father is all right though, right?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Yes, he is fine," Severus replied. "But that's only because the dark lord insisted that we leave him alive enough to tell everyone that he was back. Fortunately for the dark lord, unfortunately for us, the Ministry still doesn't believe it."

"The Ministry is filled with idiots then," Harry growled.

"Tell me about it. Take a seat, Potter," he snapped out loud and Harry, figuring that more students had arrived, hurried to comply while Severus stood up and called for silence once everyone was sitting down.

The door opened and Umbridge walked in, clipboard and quill in hand. "Do not mind me, Professor Snape," she said sweetly while Harry had the feeling that Severus wanted to bang his head against something.

Severus nodded slowly before he glanced at the other class. "We will start with something simple today," he said curtly as he swept his way down the aisles of the class. Ron was sitting across from Harry while Hermione had take a seat at Harry's other side. "I want you to read chapter 6 and write a two foot essay on the differences and similarities between two different ingredients used in the main potion mentioned in the chapter."

Harry turned to the page in his potions book and watched as Severus moved his way up and down the aisles before coming to a stop just behind Ron as Umbridge walked over to join him. "May I ask you a few questions?" she said.

Harry pretended as though he was working but he listened in on the conversation.

"Of course, Professor Umbridge," Severus said smoothly although coolly, his face still an expressionless mask.

"I hear that you applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position first, correct?"

"Yes."

"Heem, it's a shame that you weren't able to get it, now isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

"Heem, perhaps you'll get it next year."

"Perhaps."

Umbridge walked away and Ron snickered before he was slapped upside the head by the pieces of paper held in Severus's hands.

* * *

><p>Professor Trelawney was Umbridge's next victim and Harry sort of felt sorry for the Divinations Professor. Umbridge constantly attempted to get the Professor to give her a prophecy but Trelawney insisted that all prophecy's could not come on command.<p>

Harry glanced at Ron. "Poor Trelawney," he whispered.

"Yes but at least she doesn't hit people on the head with papers," Ron growled rubbing his head from where Severus had smacked his head with his papers last class.

"Next time, don't snicker at him then."

"It was funny though, him getting questioned by Umbridge."

"Apparently he didn't think so."

"He doesn't have a sense of humor."

Harry smiled as he remembered some of the dueling sessions he's had with his guardian. "You would be surprised, Ron," he said quietly as Trelawney finally started speaking when Umbridge was about to leave.

"Wait, I do see something. Yes, it's clear, you are in grave danger," Trelawney gasped out.

"Is that really all you can do? Heem," Umbridge said before she walked out of the classroom.

The weekend came swiftly and once again, more rules were being enforced and Harry was beginning to dislike them more and more. The good thing was that they were still allowed to leave the castle on weekends. It was now nearing the winter holidays and Harry found himself amazed by how fast time had gone by.

His training with Severus was getting more in depth than before and the skills he was learning were skills that he would cherish forever. He was glad that he had the chance to actually learn how to defend himself and use curses, hexes and spells that he never thought of using before. Some of those curses, Severus insisted must only be used on enemies and not on allies but others could be used on anyone so long as it's just for practice.

Some of the curses that should only be used on enemies, Harry and Severus used on each other but that was only to practice shield charms and the like. It helped Harry to better concentrate although, for some reason, his night was constantly interrupted by nightmares that he couldn't seem to remember when he woke up in the morning.

Hermione and Ron came to him one day, about a week before the winter holidays, and Harry glanced up at them. He was bone tired from his interrupted sleeps and his dueling sessions with Severus but he managed to hide it from his friends. Unlike with Severus, Harry was able to keep just about anything from his friends, even if he didn't like doing that sometimes.

"Harry, will you come with us into Hogsmeade today?" Ron asked.

There was a small town called Hogsmeade just outside of the castle that students were allowed to go to when they were not in school. "Why?" Harry asked.

"We just want to talk to you and...well we don't want any professors to overheard us," Hermione replied.

"All right." Harry stood up before grabbing his wand and tucking it away. He then followed Hermione and Ron as they made their way toward the entrance to the castle. The good thing about the town was the fact that it was easily bypassed and so it wasn't likely that they would be attacked.

_Hopefully,_ Harry thought.

"And where do you three think you're going?"

_Of all the luck, Severus just happens to be here when we're about to leave,_ Harry thought as he turned around to find Severus stepping out of the shadows nearby, looking as menacing as ever although Harry could see the questioning concern in the obsidian eyes. The concern was what caught Harry by surprise but he refused to let the surprise show on his face.

"We're just going into town for a bit. Get some air and take a break from Hogwarts," Hermione replied.

It wasn't really a lie.

Severus narrowed his eyes more. "Just be back inside before curfew," he said curtly. He glared at Harry before adding, "You two may go, Potter, stay a moment."

Hermione and Ron glanced at Harry briefly before they nodded and slipped out of the hall. Severus stepped back into the shadows and Harry quickly walked over to join him as his guardian waved a Silencing Charm over him.

"Be careful while you're in town, Harry," Severus murmured. "The dark lord is growing very agitated, he wants to attack again to make his presence known. I fear that he wishes for another war to start and so he needs to make a believable attack, one that will shock some sense into the Ministry. Malfoy's position in the Ministry is helping his cause but there's no telling as to how long it will take Malfoy to do that."

Harry nodded.

"Remember everything that I have taught you. Even if you are attacked and I am there, do not hesitate for it will jeopardize not only your life but my position as well. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Severus, I understand. But...I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

Severus smirked. "Even you aren't trained enough to actually be able to land a blow against me, you haven't yet," he said.

"Unlike that one time I hit you with the stunning charm."

"That did not count."

"Oh sure it didn't count, you're just too stubborn to admit that I actually hit you with a spell."

"Potter, do not try my patience. As your legal guardian, I can still ground you if I wanted to."

Harry's eyes went wide with shock. "You wouldn't," he gasped.

"Try me," Severus retorted.

Harry swallowed. "Sorry," he said quickly.

Severus snorted "Just don't do it again," he said before he waved his wand and the Silencing spell was broken. "Now get going so that you'll be back before curfew or I'll deduct points," he snapped.

"Yes Professor," Harry replied before he hurried out of the castle to catch up with his friends.

* * *

><p>Harry was amazed by what Hermione and Ron had just suggested. "You can't be serious," he protested. "I can't teach defensive spells to everyone and keep it a secret."<p>

"It'll only be to a select few, Harry, and you're the only one that can help us. Umbridge isn't teach us anything. What happens if the dark lord decides to attack Hogwarts and manages to get through the wards?" Hermione protested.

"Besides, more people believe that you weren't lying about the dark lord so I'm sure that they'll be more than happy to have you teach them," Ron added.

"But what about Umbridge? And Snape?"

"What they don't know won't hurt them."

Harry frowned, he really didn't like lying to his new guardian, not after everything Severus has done for him. Taking care of him when he was a dove, gaining guardianship over him so that he didn't have to return to the Dursleys, teaching him defensive spells so that he wouldn't be ignorant should he go against the dark lord, and actually caring about his welfare, if the concern in the Potions Professor's eyes was any indication.

"I suppose so," he said softly. "But I really don't like lying to Snape, not after everything he has done for me."

"Well, you can always tell him but he's likely to try and stop you," Hermione said. "Either that or he'll help us."

"_Snape_ help _us_? I never knew you had a sense of humor, 'Mione," Ron said smiling.

"Well, it's possible."

"Just think about it, please, Harry. We'll speak to everyone who is going to gather at Hog's Head and then you can decide whether you want to teach them or not," Hermione said.

"It'll help us better prepare ourselves, mate," Ron added. "Besides, I really like the idea of pulling one over Umbridge."

Harry couldn't help but smile. He actually liked that idea as well. "Ron came up with this idea, didn't he?" he asked.

"Actually Hermione did," Ron said.

Harry glanced at Hermione with shock in his eyes.

Hermione shrugged. "It sounded like a good idea," she said.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?"

She laughed.

"Fine, I'll hear you out," Harry said after a few moments of silence. He followed Hermione and Ron as they led the way into Hog's Head and he found himself wondering as to what he has gotten himself into.

* * *

><p>Hermione watched as the students gathered in Hog's Head, ready to hear her out and she hoped that they were eventually join Dumbledore's Army to battle the dark lord. "I'm glad you all showed up," she began softly. "I asked you to come here today because I know that you all believe Harry when he said the dark lord has returned. The dark lord's minions made it clear when they attacked Seamus's father. But now we must come up with something we can do to defend ourselves and our families and friends should the dark lord ever attack."<p>

"The dark lord is powerful, yes, but he is not invincible. I believe that we can defeat him but we have to all believe. Harry has agreed, reluctantly, to teach you anything that he knows in order to combat the dark lord. He has faced the dark lord and lived to tell the tale so I suggest that we give him a chance so that we may stand a chance against the dark lord's minions. All I ask is for you to give Harry the benefit of the doubt, listen to him and learn to defend yourself so that you may better protect yourselves."

"The dark lord is really back, isn't he?" Ginny asked softly.

"He is," Harry said quietly.

"So I urge you to join with us to learn how to defend ourselves so that we may band together and perhaps stand a chance against the dark lord and his minions should it fall to that," Hermione said.

Luna smiled faintly. "I, for one, would love to join," she said dreamily.

Slowly, after that more and more people started to agree with Luna and Harry, Hermione and Ron had to set up a parchment for people to sign up on and Hermione was glad and amazed that everyone who had gathered in the room had signed the parchment saying they wished to join Dumbledore's Army.

_It worked,_ she thought.

"All right, the first thing we need to discover is a place to hold these training sessions," Hermione said. "If we can find that then we can have a better chance of learning what we need to know to go against...Voldemort." Her voice shook a bit as she mentioned the dark lord's name.

"Everyone keep an eye out," she added. "Once we find a place to practice then we'll start organizing practice dates and ways to avoid Umbridge and Filch during those times."

Harry glanced at them. "This may get you into a lot of trouble though," he said. "We'll have to keep that in mind for if we get caught then there's a chance that we may be expelled. I hope you all understand that that is what you're risking by joining."

The others nodded, they clearly understood what they were putting on the line.

"If the dark lord is really back then it'll be best if we knew how to defend ourselves, even if we risk expulsion," Zacharias Smith said.

"The dark lord is our primary concern," Cho Chang said softly.

"He is even more important than our OWLs this year," Ron added and everyone nodded in agreement.

Harry was silent for a long moment. "Our first task is to find a place to practice," he said after a few moments of silence.

"After that, we will see," Hermione said.

* * *

><p><strong>By Order of the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts<strong>

_All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded._

_An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

_Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)._

_No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

_Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

_Signed_

_Dolores Jane Umbridge_

_High Inquisitor_

"That's going a bit too far," Severus muttered as he examined the bulletin although he wondered as to why Umbridge would post such a rule.

The only answer that came to mind was one person.

_Harry Potter._

Severus glanced over his shoulder before slipping the shadows as Harry, Weasley and a few second year students read the bulletin. There was concern in Harry's eyes and Weasley looked worried as well. From his position, Severus could hear them speaking quietly with each other and was able to make out every word that they were saying.

"Why would she do this?" Harry whispered.

"Someone must have told her. I bet it was Zacharias Smith, he had that shifty look in his eyes that I didn't like," Weasley muttered.

"But why would he do that? He signed up."

"Yea, mate, that's true but that doesn't mean he wants to risk expulsion."

_Expulsion?_ Severus narrowed his eyes. _What is my ward up to?_

"We'll have to try and tell everyone about this," Harry said quietly. "Keep each group you tell to two people so we won't be considered a club by Umbridge."

"We'd better go tell Hermione," Weasley said.

"I don't think she's going to be too happy with this," Harry murmured before he and Weasley disappeared into the throng of students.

_What is Harry doing?_ Severus thought. _Something reckless, I'm sure of that much. I'd best try to convince him out of this. If he gets expelled then I'll be less likely to be able to protect him from the dark lord._

* * *

><p>"What? But we need this," Neville Longbottom protested when Harry told him of the High Inquisitors order. "I don't want what happened to my parents, or your parents, to happen to anyone else, my friends, my gran and others."<p>

"I know but we won't be able to do it unless we find someplace to practice where Umbridge won't be able to find us. I did warn you that we'd risk expulsion by doing this," Harry said quietly.

"But how did she find out?"

"That's the million dollar question. Ron thinks Zacharias said something."

Neville sighed before shaking his head. "Everyone else is not going to like this," he said quietly. "Even I was looking forward to it even though I'm a bit terrified at the thought of on the dark lord."

"Everyone is, I know I am. We have to keep this on the down low, pass it on to one other person and make sure that it's only you two when you speak of it. If three people are gathered together then Umbridge will consider that to be a group."

"Yeah, I know." Neville said his goodbyes before he turned around and walked away down the corridor to find Cho since she was the first one that he was likely to find since he had his next class with her. As he walked, however, he noticed something was odd as he walked past one of the walls and it suddenly changed.

Taking a few steps back, Neville watched in amazement as a door suddenly appeared before him. He hesitantly walked forward before opening it to reveal a spacious area beyond the door. _Whoa, _he thought before he quickly closed the door and hurried off to find Harry, Hermione or Ron.

* * *

><p>"You did it, Neville," Hermione gasped as she examined the spacious room that Neville had just shown her. "You found the Room of Requirement."<p>

"The Room of Requirement?" Ron echoed.

"It's a room that only appears when someone desperately needs it. It's as if Hogwarts is telling us that we need to fight back," Hermione said. She glanced at Harry who was examining the room with wide eyes and he smiled.

"This is perfect," he said before he glanced over his shoulder and gestured for everyone to enter the room. "Now we need to come up with a schedule to keep."

"What can the schedule be?" Ginny asked.

"It has to be something simple that won't raise the suspicions of anyone of our professors, least of all Umbridge," Harry said. "Weekends will be pretty easy since we won't have to worry about the homework and detentions and such. It's the weekdays that I'm worried about but it's a good thing the winter holidays start next week. The people who are planning on staying in Hogwarts will be able to get more training done because then there will be less professors to find us."

"How about five to seven on the weekdays?" Ron suggested. "It's not that long and we'll still be able to keep up with homework and the such and still be back in our common rooms before curfew as well as make it to dinner on time."

"Yes, that would work. And five to nine on weekends or during the break with an hour to attend dinner. The more hours of practice we get in the quicker we'll learn."

Hermione smiled before she placed a hand on Neville's shoulder. "Congrats to you, Neville, since you found this place, we owe you our thanks."

Neville blushed in embarrassment.

"So tomorrow, since it's the weekend, we'll meet here at five and start," Harry said. "If anyone asks, say you're going to the library or to find a partner to study with. Try to be as indiscreet as possible, we don't want the professors to find out about this."

Hermione nodded and everyone else nodded in agreement before the group separated and began heading back to their separate common rooms.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: once again, this is AU, as in IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE so nothing in OotP happens as it does in canon although the High Inquisitor notice was taken directly from the book**

**Darth: anyone seen my laptop? Did Snape steal my laptop again?**

**Snape: for the billionth time, that wasn't me, that was Voldymuffin**

**Darth: why didn't you kill him?**

**Snape: he hid in a hole and I can't find the hole**

**Darth: it's in a mine beneath the chapel**

**Snape: (pulls out nuclear missile) thanks!**

**Voldymuffin: you're supposed to be working for me**

**Snape: yeah but when the stranger's threatening to chop off my head, I don't work for you anymore**

**Voldymuffin: I'm going to run now! (Takes off running)**

**Snape: run fast! (Chases after him)**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter 16 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen**

Severus watched as Harry made his way into his office, an excited gleam in his green eyes. "Good afternoon, Professor," he greeted him. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, come in," Severus replied before, once Harry closed the door behind him, he cast a Silencing charm over them. "Harry, what is going on?" he asked.

Harry stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said swiftly.

"Harry, I would not have survived as long as I have if I did not know how to catch someone in a lie," Severus said.

Harry shook his head. "It's nothing," he said. "Everyone just upset with Umbridge's new rule."

"It was a bit...overkill," Severus agreed. "I can tell that the Quidditch team isn't too happy."

"They aren't," Harry agreed. "Do you suppose we can train today?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. Something was up with Harry but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It had something to do with Umbridge's new rule, that much was for sure, but he didn't know what it was. He also knew that Harry was risking expulsion and people signed up for it but he didn't know what it was.

_I'll have to keep this in mind. I will find out what my ward's up to, one way or another,_ he thought.

"All right," he said out loud pushing himself to his feet. "Let's get some training done but it'll have to be a short session. I have a meeting with Dumbledore in half an hour."

"All right," Harry said before the two of them walked into the living room that Severus had made bigger with the help of the house elves.

Casting the protection spells, he turned around to face Harry, his wand held at a ready. Harry pulled out his wand as well and the two started out at a standstill before Harry tossed the first hex. Severus dodged the hex with lightning fast speed before he tossed one back at Harry and the two of them dueled, hexes, mild curses and spells flashing between them as they usually did whenever these sessions took place.

"You're getting better," Severus said barely managing to avoid a stinging hex aimed at his shoulder. "But your concentration is lacking and you get easily distracted."

"I do not," Harry protested just as a fire blast shot past his ear and he when he whirled around to counteract that spell, Severus shouted, "_aquamenti_" and a blast of water slammed into Harry before sending him flying to the ground.

Harry gasped. "I guess I do," he gasped.

Severus walked over to join his ward before holding out a hand and helping the boy to his feet. "Master duelists get distracted every once and a while," he said. "You just need to focus on the task at hand and don't let anything distract you or it could lead to your downfall."

Harry nodded before he smiled faintly. "Thank you, Severus," he said softly.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "For what?" he asked.

"For not getting to mad at me."

"Mad at you for what?"

"_Stupefy!_" The blast caught Severus unaware and sent him flying across the room before he crashed into the ground.

Harry laughed. "For that," he said.

Severus scowled before casting a tickling hex that slammed into a still laughing Harry and he collapsed onto the floor, convulsing with laughter.

"Stop it," he gasped.

Severus smirked. "Payback," he said lifting the hex and Harry, gasping, managed to push himself to his feet.

"Sometimes your sense of humor is odd," Harry murmured glowering at Severus who smirked.

"Slytherins always get revenge," he said silkily.

"Oh joy."

Severus snorted before he murmured a quick spell to check the time. "Time for you to go, brat. I don't know how long it'll be before we can train again but it won't be for a while. Perhaps during the holidays," he said.

"All right," Harry said. "I'll see you later then, Severus."

"Get going, brat, before I hex you out of here."

Harry laughed before he jogged out, clearly knowing that his guardian was always one to keep his word. Severus watched him go before he walked back into his office and sighed as he sank down into his seat. He found himself wondering when exactly it was that the little brat who lived had wormed his way into Severus's cold heart.

For the first time since he met the dove form of Harry on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, Severus Snape was actually glad that he was now the guardian of the one Harry Potter.

* * *

><p>"Sorry I was late," Harry said as the door to the Room of Requirement closed. "Professor Snape had me redo an essay I had turned into his class." The lie came easily and everyone else understood what he was talking about. Hermione and Ron glanced at him but Harry just shrugged and walked deeper into the Room of Requirement.<p>

"All right, we'll start with a simple disarming spell," he said before he gestured toward the statue that was standing in front of them with a wand in his hands. "Form two lines and we'll go two at a time."

Everyone instantly complied and Harry found himself paired with Neville, who looked increasingly nervous. "Calm down, Neville, just focus and cast the spell," he said.

"_Expell..._" Neville began but the practice dummy struck first and Neville's wand went flying out of his hand.

"You have to be quick," Harry said. "_Expelliarmos,_" he said before casting the spell and it slammed into the dummy's wand, sending it flying.

"Practice for a bit on your own," he said glancing at the others. "Pair up and start casting the spell at each other, see if you can disarm your opponent."

Everyone else nodded before they separated and Harry walked amongst the group as student after student cast the disarming spell and he could see that some blasts were more powerful than others were. Ginny managed to send Ron flying backwards several feet while Luna only knocked the the wand out of Hermione's hand. Neville was having a bit of trouble with how to hold his wand so Harry went to his side and helped him to get his grip adjusted.

Zacharias and Seamus were also having a bit of trouble but after a few quick instructions, they managed to cast the charm and disarm each other at the same time.

"Good, you're getting better," Harry said with a small smile as he surveyed Dumbledore's Army as they trained onward.

* * *

><p>Severus could tell he wasn't the only one that was suspicious as Umbridge past another rule that forced anyone suspected of breaking the rules to submit to questioning. Severus also knew that he would be going through much of his veritaserum because of the High Inquisitor.<p>

Two days had gone by since his training session with Harry and he could tell that something was up. Not only was Filch trying to find out what was wrong so were many others bu they kept hitting blank walls. He found himself passing Filch in one of the corridors, watching a blank wall.

"Bored, Filch?" he asked.

Filch glanced at him. "There's something going on here and I'm going to find out what it is," he said firmly.

Severus decided to not tell Filch that there was no one there since Harry, whom Severus suspected to be a part of this all, was back in his common room. He had seen him and the others enter the Gryffindor tower but he didn't really like Filch.

"Well, good luck with that," Severus sneered before he walked away.

Surprisingly, when he reached the dungeons later that night, he received a floo call from Albus and it was obvious that the Headmaster was worried. "What is it, Headmaster?" he asked.

"It's about Harry. Come to my office quickly," Albus said before his head disappeared.

Severus, worried, quickly hurried out of his chambers although he did slow down a bit as he walked toward the Headmaster's tower to not show how worried he was. When he reached the gargoyle, he murmured the password before making his way up the steps to the Headmaster's office.

A snapped out "Look at me!" sounded as Severus neared the door and he instantly recognized Harry's voice as Harry added, in a terrified tone of voice, "What's happening to me?"

Walking in at that moment, Severus noticed that the entire Weasley clan was there and they looked increasingly worried. He also noticed that McGonagall was there and looked just as worried as the Weasley clan.

"You wanted to see me, Headmaster," he said smoothly as he came to a stop beside his ward.

Albus gazed at him. "It's time, it's happened," he said softly.

Severus eyes flashed. _Now? He was so young, it was too soon,_ he thought silently before he nodded and took Harry's arm. "Come on," he said curtly before he quickly led him out of the Headmaster's office.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as Severus half-dragged, half-guided him toward the dungeons before hurrying down the steps back to his private lab, which lay in between his private chambers and his classroom.

"It would appear something has happened to prove a theory that Dumbledore has been working on," Severus replied as he walked into the lab and closed the door behind him. "Sit, Harry."

Harry sat down. "What is wrong with me?" he asked as Severus paced for a long moment, deep in thought.

"It would appear there is a connection between you and the dark lord. Whether or not the dark lord knows of this connection is not clear. You'd better hope he remains ignorant," Severus replied.

Harry's eyes went round. "What can be done?" he asked.

"I'm going to have to teach you Occlumency," Severus replied.

"What's that, Severus?"

"It's the art of shielding your mind entirely. It's a long and hard process but I'm afraid we do not have that kind of time. In these lessons, I will attempt to penetrate your mind and you will attempt to resist."

Harry swallowed. "I...I don't know how to do that," he protested.

Severus let out a long sigh. "Picture something in your mind," he said finally. "Something, anything. It has to be something simple. Some people use fog, others meadows and the like. You have to focus on this image, keep it in your mind so that I cannot penetrate it and get to your memories. Do you understand?"

Harry swallowed before nodding. "Yes, I understand," he replied.

Severus nodded. "Ready?" he asked.

Harry nodded.

"_Legilimens._"

Severus found himself deep in Harry's memories but it was surrounded by a thick fog and he pushed against it before finding himself in the midst of Harry's memories. Some of which were recent, Voldemort's attack on Cedric, greeting Sirius, his memories when he was a dove, flying over the Forbidden Forest, traveling to Scotland with Hedwig at his side. So many different memories but then a more recent memory came into his mind, a memory of students gathering and Harry standing in front of them, instructing them.

And then there was nothing as Severus was forcibly pushed from his ward's mind.

Narrowing his eyes, Severus said curtly, "Well, it seems you're building up your defenses," he said. "And more than that, such as Dumbledore's Army, shall we say?"

Harry's eyes went wide with shock. "You..." he began.

"Do not even think about saying I do not have the right to see that. Your thoughts are not private to me and they certainly aren't private to the dark lord. Anything I saw, the dark lord can see as well. Are you seriously that daft? You could get expelled for this!"

"I had to, Severus," Harry protested. "The attack on Seamus's father proves that the dark lord has returned and Umbridge isn't teaching us anything. I warned everyone who signed up that they were facing expulsion. It's not my fault they still agreed to participate in it. It wasn't as if I forced them into it. You must understand, Severus. Didn't I tell you before that if we do not know how to defend yourselves then more people than ever are going to die?"

Severus rubbed his head, feeling a headache start to form. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked finally. "Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me about this?"

Harry lowered his head. "I was afraid you'd go to Dumbledore," he said softly. "I really didn't like lying to you, Severus, especially after you risked everything just to get me away from the Dursleys. You became my guardian even though it would put your life in even more danger should Voldemort find out."

"If you didn't like lying to me then why did you do it?"

"Because I was afraid you'd try to stop me. Hermione suggested that you might help us but Ron seems to think its' a joke and, well, I sort of agree with him. I mean, you told me that you only agreed to mentor me, not the entire school."

Severus looked away, he clearly remembered that conversation. It was that conversation that caused him to rethink about what he had told Harry. He knew he could help the students, he could prepare them for the dangers of the dark lord better than Umbridge, and if he didn't then he would forever bear the guilt should the students die because he didn't help them when he had the chance.

"Harry, my position is very secure," he said softly. "You don't know how much I want to help you but I cannot. If Malfoy or any other children of the Death Eaters I work with get so much as a whiff of what I am doing then my position will be compromised."

"I suppose I understand that," Harry said quietly.

Severus was silent for a long moment. "I will not tell the headmaster or Umbridge about this, Harry," he said finally. "I am sure you will make a brilliant teacher. Just teach the students everything that I taught, am teaching, you and they will be fine. This is all I can do, Harry, or else my position will be compromised and the Order will be left without valuable information."

Harry's eyes gleamed. "Thank you, Severus," he gasped and, before he could stop himself, he rushed forward and threw his arms around his guardian. Severus was startled by the sudden hug but it felt nice to be hugged by someone again even if it has been several years since he was last hugged.

Harry flushed in embarrassment as if he had just realized what he had done. "Sorry," he said.

Severus placed a hand on Harry's back before gently hugging him back. "Ever tell anyone about this and I'll deny it vehemently," he murmured into his ward's ear.

Harry relaxed in his arms before he stepped back. "My lips are sealed," he said.

Severus smirked. "Of that I have no doubt, brat," he said. He pointed to the chair. "Sit, we still have some work to do before it gets to be near curfew."

Harry nodded before he sat down and they continued the Occlumency lessons.

* * *

><p><em>Severus actually cares about me,<em> Harry thought, it was the same thought that he kept thinking about since the day before. He had always thought that his guardian had only adopted him out of necessity but yesterday's Occlumency lessons proved that even Severus Snape, the snarky git of a Potions Professor, was capable of caring for someone else.

Harry knew that Severus's status as a spy prevented him from teaching the Defensive Arts club that Harry started directly but that didn't stop him from teaching it indirectly, through Harry. Not to mention, Severus made it clear after the Occlumency lessons that he'll try to keep Umbridge and Filch's attentions away from the Room of Requirement and do so in such a way that it will not reveal that he was helping them.

Ron glanced at him as the three of them walked to their DADA class "Thank you, mate," he said softly.

"What for?"

"You saved my father's life. They found him in the Department of Mysteries but he wasn't dead and he wasn't as seriously injured as your nightmare had suggested he was," Ron said.

"I'm glad," Harry said softly. That was something he never wanted to go through again. "Well, I have some good news."

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

Harry gestured for them to join him in a secluded corner where they were least likely to be overheard. To be safe, he cast a Silencing Charm that he had learned from Severus. "I told Professor Snape about the DA club," he said softly. "He wasn't mad although he was a bit angry that I didn't tell him about it. When I asked him to help, he told me that his status as a spy would be compromised if he helped directly so he decided on helping indirectly."

"How so?" Ron asked.

"He has been teaching me all kinds of things since I returned to my human form," Harry replied. "He told me that anything he teaches me, I can teach the DA club."

"So we will learn everything that Professor Snape knows through you?" Hermione asked.

"Exactly."

"That is a good idea."

"He also said that he'd try to keep Umbridge and Filch's attention away from the Room of Requirement."

"How is he supposed to do that?" Ron asked.

"How should I know?"

"Come on, class will be starting soon," Hermione said before she led the way into the room and Harry and Ron quickly hurried after them. Umbridge stood up at the front of the class as the Golden Trio sat down at their tables before she began speaking. "Today we will have a quiz based on chapter 3 of your books."

"But we haven't finished reading chapter 3," Neville protested after he raised his hand and Umbridge acknowledged him.

"I assigned it for homework. If you did not do your homework than it is not my problem," the DADA professor replied.

Malfoy, at that moment, raised his hand. "Professor Umbridge, I do not recall you assigning such an assignment," he said politely.

"But I did, Mr. Malfoy," Umbridge said. "You must not have been paying attention when I assigned it."

"But I was. I always pay attention in class."

_That's a first,_ Harry thought amusedly.

"Ten points from Slytherin for your attitude, Mr. Malfoy," Umbridge said firmly.

"What? But I didn't do anything!" Malfoy exclaimed clearly shocked that he, the son of Lucius Malfoy who had Minister Fudge's ear, had cost his house ten points.

"Another ten points for attitude!"

The Slytherins were glaring at Malfoy who glowered angrily at Umbridge but was wise enough to not cost his house more than a twenty point deduction. Ron snickered. "Serves him right," he muttered. Unfortunately his words were just loud enough for the DADA professor to hear him.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for that comment," Umbridge said.

Ron scowled but restrained the urge to reply to that statement. Umbridge handed out the tests before walking down the aisles as the students took it. Harry found that he knew quite a few of the answers because he had read the first half of the chapter but he couldn't remember the rest. He had been about to agree that Umbridge had given them that assignment but DA was taking up most of his time but when Malfoy protested to it, Harry knew that Umbridge was just being unfair again.

When they were finished with the tests, Umbridge collected them before walking back to her desk as class ended. The students immediately filed out and the last class of the day passed by quickly, which led to another meeting of the DA club, which kept on going for the next week until holidays began. On the day of the last DA meeting one week later, Harry was late again but this time it wasn't entirely his fault.

Walking down the hallways near the Owlery after visiting his familiar briefly, Harry found himself deep in thought and also trying to fight off a headache that had formed out of nowhere when he suddenly ran into someone.

"Watch where you're going, Potter," Malfoy growled glaring at Harry.

Harry glanced up. "Sorry Malfoy," he said curtly although his voice lacked any actual anger.

Malfoy sneered. "You do know that Umbridge coming here was your fault, don't you?" he said curtly.

"My fault? How the bloody hell was it my fault?" Harry protested.

"If you hadn't gone on lying about the return of the dark lord then the Minister wouldn't have become so paranoid and Umbridge would never have been hired."

"I did not lie!"

"So you say."

"So Dumbledore says."

"Why should anyone believe that old man?"

"You're actually insulting Dumbledore? You are even more stupid than I had thought," Harry snapped.

Malfoy growled angrily at that comment and his wand came into his hand. "Say that again," he hissed.

Harry was about ready to comply when a searing pain suddenly exploded in his head and he was suddenly tossed into darkness.

* * *

><p>Draco Malfoy was stunned when Potter collapsed onto the ground before he had uttered a single hex or spell. Not wanting to be charged with causing something to happen, though he didn't, Draco knelt down beside Potter. "Potter, wake up!" He said firmly but Potter didn't respond.<p>

Checking his pulse, Draco was faintly relieved. He really didn't want to be the one to tell someone that the Boy-Who-Lived had died in his presence. Gazing around, Draco noticed that the hallways were empty and it wouldn't be a good idea to leave Potter by himself, not when there was a chance that Potter could die. Scowling to himself, Draco turned Potter over before pulling out his wand and cast a summoning charm that would bring him a parchment and quill. At the very least, there was a chance he could get an owl to get a message to someone since Potter had collapsed in the hallway next to the Owlery. Why he was near the Owlery when Gryffindor tower was at the other end of the school, Draco didn't know.

A moment later, a snowy owl that Draco recognized as Potter's flew toward them, chirping angrily. "I didn't do it," Draco protested when he heard the accusing tone in the owl's voice. "Will you take this to Professor Snape?" Draco figured his Head of House might be better at figuring out what caused this and also keeping it a total secret from the school. Besides, his Head of House would never blame Draco for what happened while other teachers might because of his house.

The owl chirped in reply before taking the letter and flying off while Draco sat down beside Potter and examined him. _What the bloody hell caused this?_ He wondered silently. He's never seen someone just collapse all of a sudden and still be alive.

It wasn't long before Professor Snape joined them and Draco glanced up as the Head of Slytherin House knelt down beside Potter. "What happened, Draco?" he demanded.

"I didn't do anything, Professor," Draco protested. "We got into an argument and then he just collapsed."

Snape swore. "Did you see anything that may have caused it? Such as his eyes, did they have pain in them or something?"

"Now that you mention it, there was a brief gleam of pain in his eyes just before he collapsed," Draco admitted.

Snape nodded before lifting Potter's body into his arms. "Come along, Draco," he said firmly before he turned around and hurried toward the Infirmary with a very confused Draco just behind him. _Why is my godfather being so gentle with Potter when he's suppose__d__ to hate him? Is it because he is a teacher, responsible for all students?_

Draco noticed that Potter's familiar was also flying above them, keeping her golden eyes locked on Potter. Snape slipped into the Infirmary, gesturing for Draco to join him, before he placed Potter's body on the medical bed. "Poppy," he called.

Madame Pomfrey came into the room before narrowing her eyes. "What happened now?" she protested.

"Mr. Malfoy, tell Madame Pomfrey what happened," Snape ordered.

Draco nodded before explaining everything that happened although he kept the fact that he drew his wand to himself. Professor Snape wasn't one to tolerate his snakes starting fights in the hallways of the school. "And then he just collapsed," Draco finished.

Pomfrey waved her wand over Potter before narrowing her eyes. "This is strange," she said. "Severus, you're going to have to take a look at this. You're the expert at dark magic and a faint trace of dark magic is what caused this."

Snape, eyes filling briefly with worry that surprised Draco, nodded before he pulled out his wand and waved it over Potter a few times murmuring a spell quietly. He swore under his breath before glancing at Pomfrey. "Contact the Headmaster immediately," he ordered. "Get him prepared. I will question Potter when he wakes up but something is happening now, something horrible."

"What was the dark magic trace I saw?" Pomfrey asked.

Snape glanced at Draco for a long moment as if debating whether or not the young Slytherin was to know about this or not. Deciding on something that Draco didn't know, Snape glanced at Pomfrey, "It's the dark lord," he said quietly.

* * *

><p><em>"Do we kill him or not, my lord?" Lucius Malfoy's voice demanded as Harry glowered at the pathetic form of the muggle that lay at his feet.<em>

_"No, I shall do so myself but first you may continue," Harry hissed coolly scarlet eyes flaring as they fixed on the muggle that lay at his feet. "The Ministry is stupid but this will definitely strike at the heart of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Keep it going now!"_

_"Yes my lord," Malfoy said._

And just as suddenly, Harry was thrown from the vision and he woke up gasping and trying his hardest to push the vision to the back of his mind. The most horrible thing was that he recognized who the muggle was, he met him before. The muggle was Hermione's father.

"Potter, are you all right?" Snape's voice broke through Harry's thoughts and he blinked in time to find Snape gazing down at him.

"Professor, tell the headmaster. Hermione's father is in danger!" Harry gasped unable to keep it down anymore.

"Miss. Granger's father?"

"Yes, that was who I saw. I recognized him almost immediately," Harry said.

Snape swore before he glanced at Pomfrey. "He's going after muggleborns again, Poppy. Tell the headmaster quickly and try to avoid having this spread across the campus like wildfire. Also make sure Umbridge doesn't hear about it."

Pomfrey nodded before she ran to the floo and Snape turned his gaze back to Harry. "What exactly happened when you collapsed?" he asked.

Harry swallowed. "Well, Malfoy and I got into an argument and the suddenly there was this searing pain in my mind and then I found myself in the vision," he replied.

Snape shook his head to clear it before glancing over his shoulder. "It is a good thing you contacted me, Mr. Malfoy," he said causing Harry's eyes to fill with surprise. "Otherwise, this news would be all over the school. Keep this to yourself, Mr. Malfoy, do you understand?"

Gray eyes wide, Malfoy nodded slowly in reply. He clearly had heard the entire conversation and probably much more before Harry woke up. Harry glared at Malfoy who sneered at him. "If I hadn't got Professor Snape, Potter, you would probably still be on the hallway floor," he spat.

"I didn't ask for your help, Malfoy," Harry spat back.

"Potter! Mr. Malfoy may have saved your life. Those visions could have gotten worse if I had not brought you out of it when I did," Snape snapped.

Harry blinked. He hadn't realized that. "You brought me out of the vision? So I didn't see everything?"

"No but I am sure you saw enough to determine where Miss. Granger's father is, correct?"

Harry swallowed before nodding.

Snape nodded before glancing up and Harry watched as Dumbledore walked into the infirmary before coming to a stop at the side of the bed opposite of Snape before he cast a Silencing charm over the bed, including Malfoy who was still wide-eyed with shock.

"I do not think it would be smart to have Mr. Malfoy listen to this conversation, Headmaster," Snape said.

Harry had a feeling that was because of who Malfoy's father was and the fact that Lucius Malfoy was another of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters.

"If I have to, Severus, I will have him swear to keep what he learns here a secret," Dumbledore said. "But I think he deserves to know why exactly Mr. Potter collapsed when he did."

"What caused that to happen?" Malfoy asked confused. "I didn't do anything, I know that much. He just collapsed."

"He collapsed because of the dark lord, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore replied gently.

Malfoy's eyes went round with shock. "But that is just a rumor," he protested sounding genuinely shocked. "My father told me as much when Potter returned from the final task last year."

Harry frowned. _Why would Lucius Malfoy lie to his son about the dark lord's return?_ he wondered silently.

"Your father is known to keep secrets, Mr. Malfoy, as you well know."

Malfoy lowered his head in assent. "That's true," he admitted.

Dumbledore glanced at Harry. "I have Padfoot and Moony looking in on it, Mr. Potter," he said. "They will inform me if what you saw is correct. It also might be a good idea if you don't mention this to Miss. Granger until we are for sure of what has happened."

Harry nodded once in reply.

"What exactly do you mean you saw Granger's father is in danger? From the dark lord?" Malfoy asked. He sounded as if he really wanted to know but Harry wasn't entirely sure if he could trust Malfoy.

"If he does not wish to discuss the vision then he does not have to," Dumbledore said, saving Harry from having to explain. "But we will keep this under the wire for now so that means, Mr. Malfoy, you are not to tell anyone about what you have learned here today, am I understood? If not then I will have you swear a Wizard's Oath."

"I understand."

"I _will_ have you swear the Oath, Mr. Malfoy, if this information somehow finds its way into the ears of anyone that is not currently present," Snape said firmly.

Malfoy, like everyone at Hogwarts, knew that if Snape said he was going to do something then he was going to do it. "Yes, Professor Snape," he replied.

"You may return to your common room now, Mr. Malfoy."

Malfoy nodded before glancing again at Harry briefly and jogging out of the infirmary.

"Alas, I must be getting back to my office. Professor Umbridge is bringing something to my attention," Dumbledore said before he also exited the infirmary.

Harry gazed around before his eyes filled with guilt. "What about the DA meeting?" he gasped. "I haven't been able to tell them what happened."

Snape snorted. "Of course not, Harry, you were unconscious for a good twenty minutes. If you wish, you may go now but do try to take it easy. Madame Pomfrey said that you can leave anytime you wish," he said.

"What do I tell them?"

"Tell them I had to speak with you so that they don't know about what happened here."

Harry nodded before he sat up and got off of the bed. He was lucky he didn't sway as if Madame Pomfrey caught him swaying then she would have him stay in bed. He glanced at Snape. "Thank you for helping me, Severus," he said quietly.

"Thank Draco, not me, Harry. If he hadn't contacted me when he did then it might have been worse."

"How did you pull me from that vision?" Harry didn't really cherish the idea of thanking Draco Malfoy for anything.

"It is not that difficult to do, Potter, when the dark lord's hold on your mind is not as strong as it was the last time it happened. The longer you stay in those visions, the stronger the dark lord's hold on your mind gets. It may be that he is trying to figure out your entire mind so that he may be able to use you with these visions."

Harry knew that he would definitely have to thank Draco now for preventing that from happening. He would hate it if Voldemort got far enough in his mind to turn him against everyone he cared about, even Severus, whom he was beginning to see as a father figure.

"I suppose so. I guess I'll thank him when I see him again. Whether he'll accept it or not is another story," Harry said.

Snape's lips quirked. "Yes, he gets that from his father but do not judge him based on his father, Harry, for Draco is a completely different person. I saw this often when Lucius asked me to watch over him during the times when he and his wife went on vacations they did not want Draco to come on," he said.

"He judged me based on the fact that I'm the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Yes but that does not mean you should stoop to his level, Harry. If you actually stop sneering or glaring at him then you two might actually become friends."

"Like that'll ever happen."

"As I recall, I thought the same thing about you."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "That's different," he protested. "We have similar backgrounds. Draco and I are completely opposite of each other in terms of our upbringings."

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I suppose that is true," he said. "But that does not mean he is entirely different from you. Just try to get along with him, Harry, for you are going to need to be allies with everyone if you are to stand a chance against the dark lord."

"How do you know that?"

"Harry, it is a proven fact that everyone acts better when they have friends and allies to help them rather than supporters who could just as easy stab you in the back. The dark lord doesn't understand this but then he doesn't understand many concepts," Snape said.

"Such as the fact that an agent of the Order of the Phoenix is right beneath his nose."

Snape's lips quirked in a smile at that. "Yes, like that," he replied. He pointed to the door. "You'd best get going, brat, before your DA club members gets antsy."

Harry nodded before he jogged toward the door and away from his guardian. He was surprised when he found Draco standing at the door to the Infirmary. Deciding not to ask him why he didn't go back to his common room, as that would make him seem more like a teacher, Harry glanced at him. "Thanks, Malfoy," he said.

Draco's eyes flashed briefly. "For what?" he asked.

"For getting Professor Snape when you did. He told me that it could have been much worse had you not done that."

Draco snorted. "What else was I supposed to do? Everyone would not be happy if their precious Boy-Who-Lived got injured."

"Malfoy, I never asked for that title," Harry protested angrily. "Why would I want that title? All it serves is to remind me that my mum and dad are dead and are never coming back!" With that, Harry stormed away, heading straight toward the Room of Requirement.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: yes, Draco is good in this story**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: and there will be friendship between Harry and Draco**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: yup. This is beginning to turn into a family story but then, I'm pretty sure that's one of the genres I included for this story so I'll probably have to change the summary a bit**

**Darth: Or you can say that the summary was for the chapters before Harry started seeing Severus as a father figure**

**Blaze: well you already said it so I won't bother but what Darth says is true and I just don't wanna change the summary**

**Severus: blah, blah, blah, what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: (thinks while eating candy)**

**Murtagh: mmmm candy! (Takes candy and runs off)**

**Anakin: what in the world is he doing here?**

**Severus: (sneers) I could ask you the same question**

**Blaze: the next chapter will be Draco's POV after Harry's words, Severus will get called to the dark lord's side, Umbridge will pass a new rule and Draco will approach Harry with a startling proposal**

**Darth: you did say that this was IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!**

**Blaze: yup so, as I said, this is AU so don't expect the events of OotP to be as they are in canon, in fact, don't expect most events in OotP**

**Darth: wow, long author's note**

**Blaze: hey, the chapter was ten pages long so I can have this author's note be five pages and it still won't be longer than the chapter but I'll end it now. Please review and I will post chap****ter 17 as soon as I possibly can alt****hough I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen**

Draco couldn't help but stare after Potter until he remembered the manners his mother drilled into him and he slowly blinked his eyes. He had always assumed that Potter basked in the glory of the name that was given to him. But the way Potter sounded, it was as if he hated the name that was always associated with the scar upon his forehead. _Why would I want it? All it serves is to remind me that my mum and dad are __dead and are never coming back!_

Draco wondered how he would feel if he lost his parents. He doubted he would miss his father very much but his mother was a different story. In spite of how coolly distant she acts when Draco's father was around, it was obvious that she cared deeply for him; it would probably break Draco's heart if he ever lost his mother.

And here was Potter who lost everyone when the dark lord attacked him fourteen years ago.

_My mum would be angry with me if she knew of how bad I treated P__otter,_ Draco mused. That was one of the reasons why he made sure his mother never found out about what went on between him and Potter. He had only done it because he felt that Potter was getting too much attention and he never once considered the fact that Potter may never have wanted all that attention.

Draco wasn't one to admit when he was wrong but he knew that this time he was. He decided that if the dark lord really is back then he may as well figure out a way to defeat him and becoming allies with the Boy-Who-Lived was a start. _It's not like we have to be friends, just acquaintances, _Draco told himself as he jogged off after Harry.

He was stopped by Professor McGonagall who asked where he was going when it was almost dinner time and Draco lied and said that he had to get something from his common room. When he made it passed the Transfigurations teacher, which took a lot longer than Draco would have thought, he ducked behind a pillar in one of the hallways when he saw the wall suddenly change.

A door appeared before it opened and Draco was surprised when a score of a number of people walked out of it, most of which were Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors and he could see Granger, Weasley and Potter walking at the rear of the group. _What's this?_ He wondered silently.

"We'll see you in the Great Hall," Granger said gazing around quickly as if expecting someone to leap out at them.

"I'll be there but I want to speak with Professor Snape first," Potter replied and he watched as Weasley and Granger walked away. Once they walked away, Draco decided he'd go speak with Potter now before Potter disappeared off to find the Head of Slytherin House.

"Potter," he called walking over to join him and Potter leapt back, startled and gazing around quickly.

"Malfoy," he replied. "How long have you been there?"

"The last five minutes."

Potter paled. "Well, what do you want?" he asked.

Draco sighed, this wasn't getting off to a good start. "I've been thinking about what Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore said, you know about the return of the dark lord and, well, if he has come back then we really shouldn't be fighting over school rivalries."

Potter blinked.

"I misjudged you, Potter," Draco said. "I hate to admit it but I was wrong. I thought you were stuck up and conceited because of your celebrity status and I never thought that you would hate your title."

"Who would like a title like that?" Potter muttered. "And who would want all that constant attention? I hate being stared at and whispered about just because of this stupid scar."

Draco nodded slowly. "So why don't we call a truce between us?" he suggested holding out a hand.

Potter hesitated, examining Draco for a long moment as if unsure whether he could trust him or not before he nodded. "Truce," he replied taking Draco's hand and shaking it.

"You two, you should be in the Great Hall for dinner," Headless Nick said floating past them. "They've already started."

"We're going, we're going," Draco replied before he and his new ally walked side by side toward the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>Severus smiled inwardly as he observed the truce that was formed between Harry and Draco from the shadows. He knew that it wouldn't make them friends but at the very least, it'll give the Order another ally in the movement against the dark lord. He glided through the shadows toward the Great Hall before using a secret door that would bring him to his seat without anyone noticing that he wasn't there when they filed in.<p>

Sitting down, Severus avoided looking at Umbridge who was examining him with narrowed eyes. His gaze was trained on the doors to the Great Hall as they opened and Harry and Draco walked in before going to their separate tables. He could tell that both Granger and Weasley were startled by the fact that Draco and Harry weren't hexing each other or even glaring at each other when they walked into the Great Hall.

Sipping at his drink, Severus smirked. _Allies is what we need if we are to defeat the dark lord,_ he thought placing his cup on the table.

Umbridge's eyes were narrowed as she examined the entire hall although Severus noticed her eyes were mostly locked on Harry and his friends. He didn't mention it to anyone, though, even though he was sure he wasn't the only one that had noticed this. He could see Minerva and Hagrid both glancing briefly at Umbridge as the High Inquisitor continued to examine the students.

The dinner passed in total silence and then the staff and students went off to their respective classrooms or common rooms. Albus walked to Severus's side. "How are things with Harry, Severus?" he asked quietly as he fell into step with his Potions Professor as the two of them walked toward the dungeons, a nonverbal silencing spell had been cast over them.

"Good. He's still coming to terms with having a new guardian though," Severus replied.

"And how do you like having a ward?"

Severus was silent for a long moment. "It is challenging but also rewarding. I do know that Lily would be very proud of him though," he said finally.

"I am so glad that you do not dislike Harry anymore Severus," Albus said with a small smile.

Severus was about to reply until his arm started burning. Hissing in pain, Severus clutched the dark mark before glowering angrily at the floor. "Now? Of all times he has to call now?" he growled angrily.

"Professor Dumbledore," Umbridge called as the headmaster, glancing in concern at Severus, canceled the Silencing charm.

"What is it, Dolores?" Albus asked turning his gaze to Umbridge while Severus continued to clutch his arm.

Umbridge was about to say something before she frowned. "Are you all right, Professor Snape?" she asked.

Severus resisted the urge to toss back a sarcastic remark. "I just hit my arm," he ground out before he glanced at Albus. "If you'll excuse me, Headmaster, I have much to do before the holidays tomorrow." With that, he made his escape before quickly hurrying to his quarters where he changed and floo traveled rapidly to Malfoy Manor.

As he expected, he was a bit late and Voldemort discovered that immediately. "You are late, Severus," he growled.

"My apologies, my lord," Severus said kneeling down. "When you called, I was speaking with Professor Umbridge and the Headmaster and there were too many students around to make a quicker exit without looking suspicious." The first part wasn't a lie although the second half was completely fabricated but the dark lord didn't need to know that.

Voldemort cast the Cruciatous curse but only briefly before he turned his attention to the other Death Eaters. "For some reason, our plan to attack the mudblood Granger's family backfired on us for the Order was somehow able to learn of the plan," he said as Severus moved back to the ranks of Death Eaters. "I have no reason to believe that any of you were responsible, which means that they must have found out some other way."

"I believe there may be a connection between myself and the Boy-Who-Lived and I intend to use that connection to its' fullest, once I discover more about it," Voldemort added. "But for now, I want you to get ready. We are going to strike in Muggle London next week and make sure to leave the Ministry with something to make them afraid. Severus, you shall participate in this attack, am I clear?"

"Yes, my lord," Severus replied lowering his head although inwardly he grimaced. He knew what most of these attacks consisted of and he was glad that the dark lord didn't care that he didn't do _everything_ the others did.

"Be ready for I will call you again when it is time," Voldemort growled before he apparated away.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore glanced up as Severus walked into his office from the floo that linked his office with everywhere else. Severus looked better than he had the last time he returned from a Death Eater meeting and his expression was still as impassive as ever.<p>

"What happened?" he asked.

"The dark lord, for one, is planning on attacking Muggle London sometime next week and for another, far more important, he knows about his connection with Ha...Potter," Severus replied. "Potter will need to master Occlumency a lot sooner than I had expected or else the dark lord will be able to gain quick access to his thoughts; if that happens then its' possible that he will be able to control Potter."

Albus shook his head. "That must not happen. I suppose over the winter break, you will see to it that Harry learns Occlumency," he said.

"For as long as I am able for the dark lord insists that I participate in the attack next week and there is no telling as to when he will call," Severus replied.

Albus nodded. "Let me know when he does," he said, "and I can take over for that day or two while you are gone."

A knock sounded at the door. "Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge's voice called.

"Every single time," Severus growled angrily as Albus, chuckling, waved his wand and the door opened to reveal the frilly pink toad and she walked into the office.

"I wished to discuss with you another rule I am going to pass," Umbridge said.

"Discuss? As in you will still pass it even if I object?" Albus asked.

"Oh this is for the good of the children, I can assure you that much," Umbridge said sweetly. "The rule will say that anyone who wants extra credit can join a club I am starting that will help ferret out the bad kids, and rule breakers, at this school."

"I suppose that is all right." Albus knew there was no point in arguing since the High Inquisitor is just going to pass it anyway.

Severus snorted and Umbridge glanced at him. "Do you have any objections?" she asked.

"No, not at all," Severus replied smoothly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get somethings prepared for the winter holidays." Albus could see that Severus wanted so very barely to get out of there and he found himself agreeing with his master spy.

* * *

><p>"Oh yes, the winter holidays start tomorrow, don't they? Plan on doing anything special? And whatever happened to that pretty little dove that was with you?"<p>

Severus's lips quirked into a smile at the High Inquisitor's words. He was definitely going to tell that to Harry and he was definitely not going to let him live that down. "His owner came and picked him up just before term started," he replied. "As for what I am doing anything special this vacation, I honestly doubt it as I will be spending most of my time here at Hogwarts."

"So will I," Umbridge said.

_Merlin, can I never get rid of her?_ "Very well, I must get going now, however," he said out loud before walking back to the floo and floo traveling back to his chambers. As he entered them, he spotted Hedwig flying through the window that was magically placed there so that Hedwig may travel freely through it whenever Harry was with him.

Hedwig chirped before dropping a letter into Severus. Severus nodded his thanks before he opened the letter. It was from Harry.

_Professor Snape,_

_Umbridge is beginning to get on my nerves and she and Filch are getting a bit too close to finding the Room of Requirement. I was hoping if you would be able to help me on that. The next time I go over there, do you think you can teach me to cast the Notice-Me-Not charm? So I can teach it to the others so they can go to the Room of Requirement without being noticed by anyone else. It's not as if I can give everyone invisibility cloaks after all._

_Harry_

Severus sighed. He knew that if the Notice-Me-Not charm would definitely help Harry and his DA club from getting found out by Umbridge but he also knew he'd be in huge trouble with both the Minsitry and the Headmaster if they found out he was helping the DA club. _Not that they needed to know,_ Severus thought.

He _accio_ed a quill before writing a quick reply and handing it to Hedwig who was still flying around in a circle above his head. The owl chirped before taking the letter and flying out of the room while Severus walked out of his chambers to his office so that he could try to get some grading done. The more he got done now, the less he would have to do during the winter holidays, even if he wasn't looking forward to next week.

* * *

><p>"All right, today I'll teach you something that'll help you to come to the Room of Requirement without having to worry about Filch or Umbridge stalking you," Harry said the following day once he led the way into the room with the rest of the club just behind him. Hermione and Ron brought up the rear while Luna, Neville and Seamus were walking side by side with each other.<p>

"What spell is this?" Zacharias asked.

"It's the Notice-Me-Not charm," Harry said. "All you have to do is cast it as you're leaving your common room and it'll make everyone not notice you."

"And Umbridge will never find out," Luna said.

"Exactly." With that, Harry spent the next several minutes teaching the spell to his classmates before stepping back and allowing them to practice on their own. As he observed them, he noticed that Cho Chang had walked to his side.

"You're a good teacher, Harry," she said smiling gently.

Harry forced himself not to blush although his cheeks did go faintly pink. _I have a good mentor myself,_ he thought but didn't repeat his thought out loud as he said, "Thanks, Cho."

Cho smiled before walking back to join the rest of the club as they continued to practice.

"Most of you seemed to have picked up the charm quickly," Harry said when he noticed almost everyone was able to cast it. "I'm sure many of you already learned this but this is just to refresh your memory. Let's practice using all the spells I have taught you so far."

The students nodded and Harry watched, with satisfaction, as they practiced, many of them were practicing spells that they weren't too good at but Harry was glad that some of the members of the club, such as Neville, finally managed to get down the simplest of spells.

About an hour later, Harry called for a stop. "We'll stop now," he said. "It's almost dinner time so it would be best if we started heading toward the Great Hall. Seamus, check the door and see if Filch is outside."

Seamus nodded before jogging over to the door and glanced out of it, as it seemed to have changed into a door with a window that was not seen at the other end. "Filch is there," he said.

"We'll go out the back way then," Harry said pointing to the second door that the Room of Requirement had produced. "Collin, you'll go first and be lookout."

Collin nodded before hurrying out the door and the other students followed him quickly. Lighting his wand, Collin gestured for them to go and Harry nodded to the students before watching as they separated and went back to their separate common rooms.

He glanced at Hermione and Ron who walked to his side as the back door to the Room of Requirement disappeared. "Let's hope that door is there the next time. Snape told me that Filch is determined to find us so it's likely he'll be watching the front door constantly."

Hermione nodded. "That's why it's called the Room of Requirement," she said. "It provides the user with anything that it requires, including a back door."

Harry chuckled. "Exactly what we need. Come on, let's get to dinner before Umbridge gets suspicious."

With that, the Golden Trio jogged off toward the Great Hall.

They had barely managed to make it to the hallway leading to the Hall when a shouted, "Potter," sounded behind them.

"Ugh, Malfoy!" Ron growled before he turned around as Harry and Hermione also turned around to find the blonde wizard walking over to join them. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco's eyes flashed. "I wish to speak with Potter, Weasley," he snapped.

"Why?"

"Is that really any of your business?"

Ron growled.

"Calm down, Ron," Harry said. "It's fine."

"Did you hit your head, Harry? How is speaking with Malfoy fine?" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, the dark lord is back and we need all the allies we can get, even if one of those allies is Malfoy," Harry replied. "In fact, we'll need more allies than we presently have if we're to stand a chance."

"But Malfoy...?"

"He's right, Ron," Hermione said. She placed a hand on Ron's shoulder before adding, "Come on, let's get you to dinner. I can hear your stomach growling after all."

Ron flushed in embarrassment before he, throwing one last glare at Draco, nodded before following Hermione into the Great Hall.

"So what's this about?" Harry asked.

Draco glanced around a few times as if afraid someone will walk in on them. "I know about your club," he said quietly.

Harry paled before gazing around and gesturing for Draco to join him as he moved to stand behind a pillar. Once there, he cast a Silencing charm and a Notice-Me-Not charm on them before narrowing his green eyes. "How?" he asked.

"When I spotted everyone leaving that room, the day we declared a truce," Draco replied. "I sort of put two and two together and I think it's a good idea. I mean, how else are we going to learn how to defeat the dark lord since Umbridge is teaching us nothing?"

It was obvious Draco was starting to dislike Umbridge about as much as everyone else in the school did.

"You want to join?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded. "I would," he replied.

"There's no telling if the others will accept you. They'll most likely think you're just saying this to get us expelled," Harry said.

"I swear on my magic that I am not lying to you, will not betray any of you and I really wish to join your club to learn to defend myself against the dark lord," Draco said suddenly.

Harry's eyes went wide. Most wizards who swear on their magic must keep their promise or they will lose their magic and become a Squib. And Harry knew Draco well enough to know that the blonde wizard would rather die than become a Squib. "That's a bit harsh," he said.

Draco sneered. "You Gryffindors won't believe Slytherins unless they do something severe when they truly mean what they are saying," he said curtly.

_That's true._ "All right," Harry said. "You can join the club. It meets on weekdays at five to seven and weekends at five to nine, with an hour or so for dinner."

Draco nodded. "I might be able to get a few other Slytherins to help us," he said. "If I have to, I'll have them swear in their magic as well but we'll need all the help we can get."

"The more allies we get, the better. But I suppose it would be best to keep the club as it is for right now. With Umbridge around, it'll make things so much harder."

"True," Draco agreed.

Harry waved his wand to cancel the Notice-Me-Not and Silencing charm before he and Draco quickly hurried to the Great Hall. They entered it as Umbridge was announcing the new rule that allowed students to join her club to ferret out the bad kids and troublemakers in the school. They ignored the shocked looks they were receiving from the Gryffindors and Slytherins alike as they made their way to their respected tables.

* * *

><p>"He <em>what?<em>" Ron exclaimed his eyes shooting wide with shock later that day when he, Harry , Hermione and Neville were in the library with Luna, Cho and Ginny listening in nearby although keeping to themselves to avoid raising suspicion. "Why the bloody hell would he do that?"

"He wants to join the DA club but he knew that I didn't believe him so he swore on his magic that he wouldn't betray us or the DA club," Harry replied.

"He could still backstab us."

"Do you really think Malfoy would willingly become a Squib just because he wants to get us expelled?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows, something he picked up from his guardian Snape.

"Harry's right. When a wizard swears on their magic, they can't break their promise or they'll lose all of their magic," Hermione said.

"Did he really swear on his magic?" Neville asked.

"Yes he did," Harry replied.

"That doesn't sound like something Draco would do," Ginny admitted quietly.

"But he did it," Harry said.

"That means more allies," Luna said quietly. "And we'll need all the help we can get."

"Luna's right," Cho said. "Even if Draco is a Slytherin, he is still a student of Hogwarts and he did swear on his magic that he wouldn't betray us. We should give him a chance."

"If he betrays us, though, I'll make him wish he was less than a Squib," Ron growled.

"I doubt he'd do anything to jeopardize his magic," Hermione said.

"Hermione's right, Draco's too proud of his magic to risk losing it," Luna said.

"We'll keep an eye on him for the first couple of days," Harry decided finally. "Just to make sure he really wants to help us although I agree with Hermione and Luna."

"When's the next DA meeting?" Cho asked quietly.

"We'll have to be very careful when we schedule them," Harry said. "Umbridge is already recruiting quite a few people and many of the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws have already been questioned by her. Luckily, she hasn't questioned a member of the DA club although the veritaserum will make it unlikely that the DA member will be able to lie to her."

"We'll have to be careful to not raise suspicion then," Ginny said.

"Yes, that would be best," Harry agreed.

When Ginny, Luna, Cho and Neville left the library, Harry found Hermione and Ron gazing at him. "What?" he asked.

"Are you sure you can trust Draco?" Hermione asked.

"Yes."

"You can't trust Draco, you just can't..." Ron began.

"Just like I couldn't trust Snape?"

Ron couldn't think of a good reply to that. He knew that he and his friends hadn't trusted Snape for the last four years until he helped Harry and became his guardian, thereby taking him from his abusive relatives. _So why is it so hard for me to not trust Malfoy?_ He wondered silently.

"Snape told me that Draco is nothing like his father and we shouldn't judge him until we got to know him better for he might surprise us," Harry said.

"How would he know that?"

"Because he's Draco's godfather and used to watch over him when Draco's parents were...on vacation."

Ron blinked. "That greasy git is not only your guardian but also Malfoy's godfather?" He exclaimed. Luckily, Harry had cast a Silencing charm over them so his words did not reach Madame Pince's ears as they would likely have been kicked out of the library for that outburst.

"Yeah. We'll give him a chance to prove that he's with us," Harry said.

"I suppose we can do that," Hermione said. "If he really swore on his magic to help us then maybe he isn't that bad after all."

"I'll believe that when the sun sets in the east," Ron muttered. "But I'll give him a chance, one chance but that's it."

"I suppose that'll have to do."

Ron narrowed his eyes. He hoped that Draco wouldn't reveal the DA club to Umbridge for he knew that the DA club was the only thing that was providing the students with the knowledge they would need should Voldemort ever attack.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 17 and cool this story is going to be my first HP fic to get over 20 chapters**

**Darth: I liked it and awesome**

**Blaze: so did I and yup**

**Darth: are you going to take a break anytime soon? I'm hungry**

**Blaze: there's a Starbucks right behind you**

**Darth: STARBUCKS! (Leaps into Mace's Mustang and runs over everyone that's in his way as he goes to Starbucks)**

**Mace: I'm not paying for the damages**

**Severus: I will (holds up Voldymuffin's credit card)**

**Voldymuffin: where the bloody hell did you get that? I thought I hid that**

**Severus: hee hee hee hee**

**Voldymuffin: (scowls) I thought you worked for me**

**Severus: in your dreams. Besides, you don't even pay me and yet you pay Malfoy**

**Lucius: yup (gets run over by Darth in Mace's Mustang)**

**Darth: well, that's what you get for being greedy**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter 18 as soon as I possibly can ****although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen**

The following day dawned a cloudy gray and snow covered the courtyard of Hogwarts as Draco walked across it. He wasn't really doing anything other than walking and thinking about how his friends, Crabbe and Goyle, had joined Umbridge's club to find troublemakers. He hoped that Potter and the DA club wouldn't be found but he figured that so long as no one who is apart of the DA club gets caught by Umbridge, they should be fine.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape's voice sounded and Draco glanced up as Snape glided over the snow to join him, looking as menacing as ever although Draco knew there was a side of Snape that few people have ever seen before.

"Yes, Professor?" He asked politely.

"Will you give this note to Potter for me? I cannot seem to find him," Snape said.

It was almost five so Draco knew that the DA meeting was gathering at that moment and that was why Snape couldn't find Potter. "All right. I doubt I'll be able to find him but I'll try," he replied taking the note that was being handed to him.

Snape nodded before he drifted away and, once he was out of sight, Draco slipped into the hallway before walking over to the wall where he had found the Room of Requirement door. Potter was there, standing at the door and ushering in the members of the club while Ron kept lookout. Draco walked over to join him. "Professor Snape said to give this to you," he said handing the note to Harry who took it before gesturing for him to get inside.

Slipping into the room, Draco was meet with hostile stares from almost everyone in the DA club but he ignored them. He was used to it since he always received those glares from the Gryffindors and he walked over to stand at the edge of the group.

Potter read the note before placing it in the pocket of his robes before glancing out the door and, once he was sure everyone was inside, closed the door. The door returned to a normal blank wall and Potter gazed around. "Where's Luna?" he asked.

"She had to speak with Professor Flitwick real quick, she said she'd be a bit late," Cho said.

Potter nodded. "All right, first things first, we have a new addition to the club and before you start going critical, know that Malfoy has already promised to not speak a word of this club to anyone, he swore on his magic," he said.

That caused the DA club members to start in surprise. They all knew of what would happen should a wizard break a promise they swore on their magic and they also knew of how much Draco was proud of his magic. That was why Draco had sworn it, he would rather die than become a Squib and he would become one if he broke his promise.

"Are you sure he did?" Seamus Finnigan asked warily.

"I was there when he swore it," Potter replied. He glanced at Draco before adding, "Most of what I've been teaching them are simple spells that we should have learned in DADA the past four years."

Draco sneered. "We learned little to nothing in those classes," he said.

Everyone agreed with him on that.

"I suppose you already know quite a bit of spells but we're just practicing and refreshing our memories. If we don't keep constantly practicing these spells then we'll forget them," Potter said before he gestured to the students. "We only have a few days left until Christmas so we're going to try to get as much training in as we possible can."

The door opened at that moment and Luna Lovegood skipped in before the door disappeared behind her and there was a thudded crash just behind her. Draco smirked. "I have a feeling those were the members of the club Umbridge formed," he said.

"What did I miss?" Lovegood asked.

"Nothing much, I just introduced Malfoy and explained what we've done so far in this club," Potter replied

Lovegood nodded. "So what are we going to do first?" she asked dreamily.

"We'll practice some of the basic spells we've already learned to keep them fresh in our mind before we go onto more complex spells," Potter replied. He glanced at his classmates. "Pair up! Let's see how well everyone knows these spells."

Draco found himself paired up with Weasley and he held his wand at a ready, narrowing his eyes. Weasley was the one that trusted him least of all so he wouldn't be surprised if Weasley tried something on him. Weasley held out his wand. "_Expelliamos!_" he shouted and the blast flew at Draco who easily dodged it.

"_Stupefy_!" he called back and the spell flew at Weasley who hastily threw up a Shield charm that deflected the stunning charm back at Draco. Draco threw up a shield charm quickly before narrowing his gray eyes.

"_Levicorpus,_" he said casting the spell and Weasley was suddenly floating in mid air.

"Put me down, Malfoy," Weasley growled.

"We're supposed to be practicing, Weasley," Draco replied calmly although he did let go of the spell and Weasley dropped to the ground in a heavy thump.

Growling, Weasley pushed himself to his feet. "_Incendio!_" He shouted.

"_Aquamenti!_" Draco replied and the two spells intersected with each other before they canceled each other out.

"Remember, this is for practice, not actual damage," Potter warned them as he walked amongst the pairs of kids practicing.

"Tell that to him," Weasley growled gesturing with his wand toward Draco.

"It wasn't as if I hurt you, Weasley," Draco growled back.

Potter sighed. "Whether or not you like it, Ron, Draco is helping us," he said. "And Draco, do try to restrain yourself. You promised you would help us and arguing constantly with other members of the DA club is not helping."

Draco and Weasley both scowled at each other although Draco knew that Potter was right. He couldn't argue with Weasley, house rivalries had to be put aside of they were to stand a chance against the dark lord. "I'll try but sometimes, Weasley just irritates me," Draco admitted.

"Look who's talking," Weasley muttered.

Potter shook his head and sighed. "Let's keep practicing," he said before he turned his gaze back to the rest of the club members and Draco, ignoring Weasley completely, listened as the club meeting went onward.

* * *

><p>Albus lifted his head when his floo flared to life and Severus stumbled in, clutching his arm. "He's calling?" Albus asked.<p>

Severus gritted his teeth in reply. "I've already canceled on Potter for the last two days and he's getting more behind in his training but it wasn't as if I had a choice. Umbridge has been pestering me constantly and it's preventing me from scheduling an appropriate time for Potter to continue his Occlumency lessons. You'll have to take over today and hopefully I'll be back soon," he said.

Albus nodded. "Go, my boy, no need in making Voldemort more angry than he probably already is," he said and Severus nodded before he floo traveled back his quarters. As he left, Albus wrote a quick note to Harry before glancing at Fawkes. "Up for a quick flight, Fawkes?" he asked.

Fawkes nodded before taking the letter from Albus and flying away to deliver the note. As he left, Albus leaned back in his seat before closing his eyes as he sighed. The dark lord must really want the Ministry to know that he is back and he must also want Hogwarts students to not be able to defend themselves. Therefore he is only staging these attacks because he knew that Minister Fudge would be too busy worrying about Albus taking his job rather than the dark lord.

Albus felt sorry for Severus, forced to have to participate in these attacks all because the younger man was spying on the dark lord for the Order of the Phoenix. He shook his head to clear it when he received a reply from Harry, telling him that he'll be there as soon as he possibly could.

_I wonder why Harry is not coming by right away. Not that I mind but most don't take their time when they come to see me, _Albus mused silently.

It was about twenty minutes later, exactly an hour before curfew, when Harry walked into the office. "Sorry I'm late, Professor Dumbledore," Harry said.

"That's all right, my boy. Lemon drop?"

Harry shook his head.

"Well, take a seat." As Harry sat down, Albus watched the boy for a moment. Since the headmaster's office was always protected by the magic of the Headmaster's before Albus, he didn't have to worry about anyone learning about what happened here. "Professor Snape was called away so I'll be giving you your Occlumency lessons today."

"Why did he cancel the past two days?" Harry asked curiously.

"Umbridge."

"Ah, 'nuff said," Harry said before he closed his eyes and for a long moment was silent. "All right, I'm ready."

Albus nodded. "_Legilimens,_" he whispered before he probed Harry's mind. Harry was getting much better, his mind was clouded completely with fog and when Albus pushed deeper, he found a meadow filled with tall grass stalks but no memories whatsoever. He pushed deeper and before long, he was able to make it past the barriers Harry put up, which turned out to be three. He retreated from Harry's mind before casting a spell to see how much time had past while Harry rubbed his head.

"You're getting much better. The two extra barriers caused me to spend extra time trying to find your memories," Albus said. "It took me a half hour just to get past the three barriers."

"Professor Snape suggested that I use more than one barrier so long as I can concentrate on all three of them at the same time. It took him only twenty minutes to get past them."

"Alas, that is because he is more skilled at legilimancy than I am," Albus said. "You may return to your common room, Harry, and I'll let you know whether or not you'll be seeing me or Professor Snape tomorrow."

"Okay sir." With that Harry walked out of the office with Albus watching him go.

* * *

><p>Harry noticed that Draco was slowly falling into the familiar role of the secret DA club meetings. He often arrived earlier than usual to help the Golden Trio prepare things and was put on lookout for two out of the three days that had passed by since he joined. The days leading up to Christmas were quick but they were full of some very odd events.<p>

For one, the day after Draco joined, Fred and George pulled a prank on Professor Filch while the rest of the members of the club were practicing, giving him candy that caused ugly red boils to appear on his face.

The day after that, Filch tried to find another way into the Room of Requirement but ended up getting lost somewhere beneath the school; it took Umbridge three hours to find him.

The third day since Draco joined was when Fred and George put an hallucination spell on Filch's drink and the next thing the DA club members saw was Filch running down the hallway away from Umbridge, screaming something about an ugly dragon chasing him.

Umbridge was not happy.

Harry chuckled as he watched Umbridge scold Filch a few hours after the hallucination spell had worn off. It was now a day before Christmas, and an hour after the short Occlumency lesson with Professor Dumbledore and Harry, Hermione and Ron would be traveling to Grimmauld's Place to spend Christmas with the Weasleys. Harry was glad for the chance to get away from Umbridge and he could tell the other members, even Draco, were glad as well.

"We won't meet until after Christmas and the rest of the winter holidays," Harry said later that day when the DA meeting was drawing to a close. "So I suggest you try to at least practice the wand movements until then. We'll pick up after the New Year."

The others nodded before they went their separate ways and Harry found Cho standing by the mirror with the pictures of those who had been lost to the dark lord, her gaze was fixed on Cedric Diggory's picture.

"Do you think Cedric would be happy that we're actually learning to fight back?" Cho asked looking at Harry.

"I'm sure he would have," Harry assured her. He knew that Cedric's death had hurt Cho more than she wanted to admit and he felt guilty again. He always seemed to feel guilty whenever Cedric Diggory's death was brought up.

Cho gazed at him for a long moment before sighing. "Have a happy Christmas, Harry," she said.

"You too, Cho."

The following day, Harry, Hermione and Ron found themselves in Grimmauld's Place, sitting at the table with the Weasley family and a still recovering Arthur Weasley. Mr. Weasley smiled faintly at Harry as Mrs. Weasley handed out hot cocoa to everyone. "To Harry, if it were not for him then I wouldn't be here today," he said.

Harry didn't want to be thanked for what had happened since he still vividly remembered what had actually occurred. He only nodded once in reply before taking the present Mrs. Weasley had given him and opening it. Sirius appeared at the doorway at that moment before walking over to join him.

"Don't I get at least a hi, kiddo," he asked.

Harry smiled faintly. "Sorry, Sirius, hi," he said.

Sirius laughed before ruffling his hair and drawing him into a hug, which Harry returned before he stepped back. "Do you know if Professor Snape is back yet?" he asked curiously. He had learned of what was going to happen in Muggle London because of Dumbledore, who had been very reluctant to tell him and only gave in when Harry continued to persist.

"No, not yet," Sirius admitted, he also knew that Dumbledore had told Harry. "Moony, Tonks and Moody learned of the attack thanks to him and tried to evacuate as much of Muggle London as they possibly could. Snape was apart of the attack, as Dumbledore said he would be, but Moony said that the attack was still going on when they left."

Harry shuddered at the thought of what Severus had to do in order to keep his cover.

"But enough talk of that, it's Christmas," Sirius said happily.

Harry laughed. "Yes it is," he agreed.

* * *

><p>Severus stumbled into Grimmauld's Place so suddenly that Tonks and Remus had to move quickly to catch him before he hit his head on the table that was looming in front of him. "What happened?" Tonks asked.<p>

"_He _wasn't happy with the fact that the Order continues to be one step ahead of him and he took it out on all of us," Severus replied. "Luckily, my cover is still safe because the dark lord thinks it was a freak accident that you found out about the attack."

"You're going to have to be careful with what you tell us, Severus," Remus said.

"I know that, Lupin," Severus growled before he sank down into a chair at the conference table and sighed. "Is Potter here?" he asked.

"Yes, he was last seen in one of the abandoned rooms downstairs," Tonks replied.

Severus nodded before he pushed himself to his feet and headed toward the stairs, putting the pain to the back of his mind as he walked down the steps. He came to a stop at the doorway when he heard Harry's voice sound from within the room.

"What if after everything that I've been through, something's gone wrong inside me? What if I'm becoming bad?" Harry asked quietly.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry. You're not a bad person. You're a very good person, who bad things have happened to," Black said. "Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are."

_Truer words than you may think Black, _Severus thought before he decided to make his presence known.

Harry glanced up. "You're back," he said happily.

Was Potter actually happy to see him? Surely not.

"I just got in," Severus replied.

"Anything we need to know?" Black asked.

Severus sneered. "The dark lord is mad but he hasn't made any mention of another attack," he replied.

Black nodded once in reply.

"You don't look so good, Professor, are you all right?" Harry asked.

"I've been better, Potter," Severus replied.

"I'm going to go see what Kreacher is up to," Black said. "Besides, I wanna hear Remus and Tonks story as well."

Severus snorted but Black ignored him as he disappeared up the stairs and Harry turned his gaze back to the tapestry on the wall. Severus walked to Harry's side before examining it, noticing that Bellatrix was on the tapestry. "What's this I hear about you thinking you're turning bad, Harry?" he said glancing at Harry.

"I just feel that way," Harry murmured. "What with the way the dark lord keeps trying to make me do something or pushes visions into my mind and forces me to witness horrible things, such as the attack on London."

Severus shuddered at that. "You saw that?" he asked.

"Not all of it," Harry said. "I managed to push him from my mind and he wasn't able to penetrate the three barriers I put up after that. I had to wake up, though, since the barriers weren't going to last long under his assault."

"You'll have to work on strengthening your barriers then," Severus said. He paused for a moment before adding, "How are the DA meetings going?"

"Good, Draco joined," Harry said. "No one really trusts him but he swore on his magic that he would never betray us."

"That's a hefty promise to make and it doesn't seem like Draco, he must finally understand what, exactly, is at stake," Severus mused.

"But what if Umbridge catches him? She could use veritaserum on him and he'll be forced to tell the truth, which will break his promise and he'll lose his magic," Harry protested.

"You actually care about what happens to Draco's magic?"

"We're allies, acquaintances, Severus, and are maybe even close to being friends."

"I suppose so. Do not worry about that. If Umbridge catches a member of the DA meeting then I'll make sure to give them a…shall we say…diluted version of veritaserum, which will have no affect on them whatsoever."

"So they can lie all they want and Umbridge will think they're telling the truth."

"Exactly."

"Now I know why you're Head of Slytherin House, that is sneaky."

Severus smirked at that.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was a bit shorter than the last few chapters but only by a page**

**Darth: for the last chapter, yes, four pages for the chapter before that**

**Blaze: oh bleh**

**Darth: so what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: I ain't saying**

**Severus: who's POV is it going to be in?**

**Blaze: yours, Harry's, and Draco's although not in that order.**

**Severus: cool**

**Darth: yup, that is awesome**

**Blaze: so please review and I'll post chapter 19 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen**

For a long moment, Harry just stood in the room beside his guardian once again examining the tapestry that hung on the wall. Severus had gone quiet as if deep in his thoughts and Harry was reluctant to break his guardian out of his thoughts. Severus blinked a few times as if remembering that he wasn't alone before glancing at Harry.

"Come along," he said. "I want to give you something."

"For what?"

"For what?" Severus snorted. "For Christmas of course, brat, come on." With that, Severus led the way out of the room and Harry, frowning, followed him. He wasn't used to receiving gifts, well from Mrs. Weasley of course, but not from any other adult. He wondered as to why Severus was given him something from Christmas but he found it a nice gesture from the normally coolly harsh Potions Professor.

They entered the conference room of the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix and Severus gestured for Harry to take a seat. Harry gazed around. "Where is everyone?" he asked.

"Probably getting ready to stuff their faces on Christmas dinner," Severus said.

"So what did you want to give me?"

Severus pulled out a small box from his pocket before he handed it to Harry. "This belonged to your mother. I thought you would want to have it. It was the only thing that I was able to save from Godric's Hollow."

Harry, his eyes wide, took the box before opening it to reveal a small green stone attached to a silver chain with silver around it as if holding it in place since there wasn't a hole in the stone. "This was my mum's?" he asked.

Severus nodded. "I hadn't realized she kept it," he admitted. "I gave it to her on her fourteenth birthday and she kept it with her, even after everything happened with the Death Eaters and all."

"It matches my eyes," Harry noted.

"That's precisely why I gave it to your mother, it matched her eyes as well. This is a special pendant, though, Harry. I spelled it to where it'll alert me if you are ever in need of help, or are in danger, and don't have time to cast the Patronus charm, or can't. I ask that you wear it all the time."

"I don't plan on getting into danger too often, Severus," Harry said sounding injured as he unhooked the chain before slipping it around his neck and the stone rested coolly on his chest.

"You're a Gryffindor and a Potter. The day you don't get into danger or trouble is the day the world will end."

"No need to be insulting."

Severus's lips quirked but he managed to restrain a smile although it was difficult, Harry noticed. "Let's just say, Gryffindor's seem to have a tendency to go off on idiotic quests, such as going after the Sorcerer's Stone in first year," he said.

Harry flushed in embarrassment; that hadn't been one of his better ideas.

"Just wear that, Harry. You can hide it if you want but keep it on. And don't worry about anyone taking it; I spelled it to where you'll be the only one who can lift it."

"All right, thank you," Harry said examining the pendant that had belonged to his mother.

"We're going to have to work on that, you thank me much too often."

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Just accept it and don't say anything?"

"No but you always thank me for even the littlest of things, some of which you shouldn't have to thank me for since you are entitled to it. We shall talk about this later, though, Molly will be angry if I keep you too long from her Christmas dinner," Severus said.

"Are you going to join us?" Harry asked.

"Perhaps. I still have to report to Dumbledore on the meeting and what happened in London but I'll stay a bit, so long as your mutt of a godfather does not irritate me too much."

"He isn't that bad, Severus, you should give him a chance."

"Like that will ever happen."

"And yet you call Sirius childish."

The glare Severus gave Harry would have sent anyone else running away in fear. But Harry merely shrugged and added, "It's true, you are being a bit childish."

"If I am then I am not the only one," Severus growled back. "Come on, brat, dinner should be served down and I really am not in the mood for a scolding from Molly. I have not even had the chance to take the potion to counteract the Cruciatous curse yet."

Harry blinked. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It was not your fault, Harry." With that, Severus led the way toward the dinning are where Christmas dinner was being served and Harry quickly jogged after the man that he never thought would ever be his guardian.

* * *

><p>Ron glanced up as Snape and Harry walked into the dining area as his mother continued to hand out plates. Mrs. Weasley glowered at Snape and Harry. "You're late," she said flatly.<p>

"My apologies, Molly, I was just giving Harry his Christmas present and like all teenagers, he would not stop talking afterwards," Snape said.

"I wasn't the one that was doing all the talking," Harry retorted.

"Sure you were not, brat, sure you were not. Now go and get something to eat, your stomach is complaining too much."

That caused Harry to blush and Ron couldn't help it, he started chuckling and was rewarded with a glare from Harry as the young wizard slipped into his seat beside Ron. "Oh shut it," he muttered.

Hermione shook her head and sighed before she glanced at Sirius who was, reluctantly, having to sit next to Snape, once again insisted on by Mrs. Weasley. Snape didn't seem to like it either but he kept his dislike to himself.

"Thank you for letting me stay here by the way, Sirius," she said.

"You're welcome," Sirius replied.

"Why is Hermione here?" Harry asked curiously.

Sirius's eyes took on a pained look. "Your vision was correct," he said softly, "but we managed to find Hermione's father in time. Hermione, however, overheard us when we were speaking about it so I offered her a place to stay while her parents stayed out of Britain for the time being."

"Where did you send them?"

"Somewhere in Italy, they've wanted to go there for a while anyway," Hermione put in. She smiled at Harry before adding, "Thank you for your help by the way."

Ron shuddered. "I would hate to have been in your position," he said. "And to be helped by Malfoy…"

"Come on, Ron, Draco's hasn't been acting like a git anymore," Harry reminded him.

"True but still."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Old grudges die hard," she said.

"Tell me about it," Harry agreed throwing a quick glance at Sirius and Snape who glowered at him.

Ron smiled faintly. "I still would like to see what would happen if we locked those two in the same room together," he said.

"Would you now?" Snape said coolly.

"You're lucky you're Harry's guardian, Snivellous," Sirius growled.

"How many times have I told you? Quit calling me that," Snape snapped back.

"Calm down you two, you're acting like stubborn teenagers. Hermione's right, the grudge between you two does die hard," Mrs. Weasley said with a sigh.

Snape snorted before returning to his meal while Sirius continued to glare at Snape as he ate. Harry rolled his eyes at Ron who chuckled. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm more mature than they are," Harry said.

"I find that highly unlikely," Snape muttered.

Ron smiled. "Well, you're definitely more mature about letting old grudges die than they are. I mean, you did let the grudge between you and Malfoy die after all," he said. He glanced at Snape and Sirius. "You could learn a thing or two from Harry, you know."

"Oh shut it, Weasley," Snape retorted.

Mr. Weasley smiled faintly. "You really can learn something from Harry, Severus, Padfoot," he said.

"Perhaps," Snape replied but he didn't elaborate as he finished eating.

"How was it?" Mrs. Weasley asked her guests.

"Delicious, thank you Mrs. Weasley," Harry said politely.

"Thank you," Mrs. Weasley said with a small smile.

At that moment, the floo flared to life and Dumbledore walked into it. "I'm sorry for intruding," he said. "But I need to speak with you."

"All of us?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Only the elder members of the Order," Dumbledore replied. His voice was deadly serious and Ron knew Dumbledore well enough to know that he didn't sound as serious as he did now often.

"All right, may the children at least finish eating first?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll place a call to the other members," he said before he disappeared into the floo again.

"He's never sounded that serious before," Mr. Weasley said. He glanced at Snape. "Do you know why this is?"

Snape shook his head. "The dark lord has told me little to nothing about what is to happen next after the last attack," he said.

"Then do you suppose it has nothing to do with the dark lord?" Sirius asked.

"Anything that causes Albus to be as serious as he is now has something to do with the dark lord, Black," Snape replied.

Ron finished eating at that moment before glancing at Harry who had finished before him and he realized he had been the last one to finish eating. "Where should we go?" he asked.

"Just go to your room, the one you stayed in when you came here at the beginning of the year," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'll have Fred and George join you."

Fred and George appeared quite suddenly at Mrs. Weasley's side. "You called?" they chorused at the same time.

"That is becoming very annoying so stop it," Mrs. Weasley growled. "Why don't you go with the others? Professor Dumbledore has to speak with us and the children probably shouldn't hear it, whatever it is."

"All right, we'll go…" Fred began.

"…And keep them occupied," George finished. With that, the twins walked over to join Ron, Hermione and Harry before leading the way up the stairs toward their room.

"I wonder what they're going to be talking about," Ron said as the floo flared to life behind them and more members of the Order of the Phoenix walked into it.

Fred and George grinned. "Why don't we find out?" they suggested at the same time.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Harry muttered.

"You and me both," Hermione agreed.

* * *

><p>Hermione watched as Fred and George lowered the ear down until it was level with the crack beneath the closed door of the conference room where the rest of the Order were gathered. Almost instantly, words came through the ear into the ears of everyone who was listening around it.<p>

"Why did you call us here, Albus?" Tonks' voice asked curiously.

"I've just discovered something that I really must speak with someone else about," Dumbledore's voice said quietly.

"Pray tell what that is and why the sudden secrecy." That was definitely Snape.

"I'm sure Albus has a reason behind his decision, Snape," Sirius's voice growled.

"Then why continue to keep us in the dark?"

"I'll explain right away," Dumbledore said quietly. "It would appear that something has occurred that I really was hoping wouldn't. I found myself still thinking about why the dark lord wanted to get into the Department of Mysteries, as Severus told us he wanted to. And I have discovered that he has going after the prophecy."

"The prophecy can only be handled by the one it is about," Mrs. Weasley's voice said.

"That could be why he is using his link with Harry, to convince Harry to go to the Department and get the prophecy for him. There is something else I've been thinking about, something that has to do with Tom's diary that was found in Chamber of Secrets."

"What about it?" Moody's voice asked.

"I know that it was a Horocrux but there is no telling if it is the only one. There may be more and that'll mean it'll be next to impossible to destroy the dark lord if there are more Horocruxes out there," Dumbledore said.

"Even the dark lord isn't stupid enough to think of making more than one Horocrux," Remus's voice said.

"We're talking about the dark lord here, he may not be stupid but that does not mean he will not use everything he can think of to make sure he stays alive. That was why he went after the Sorcerer's Stone after all," Snape said.

"So there is a chance that there are more horocruxes?" Mr. Weasley's voice asked.

"I am quite positive of it," Dumbledore said. "Horocruxes are easily discovered by those who can sense dark magic; the only ones in this room that can do that are Severus and I however."

"Why Snape?" Sirius asked.

"Because of the years he spent as a Death Eater," Dumbledore explained. "That is one of the reasons why he would make a wonderful DADA professor."

"And yet you still hired Umbridge," Snape growled.

"We've been over this, Severus."

"Yes but that does not mean I have suddenly come to like it."

"We cannot worry about that now. The Ministry is still putting off the sudden attacks by the dark lord as a way to get their focus off of me. They're getting more paranoid by the second and Fudge is still thinking that I'm out for his job," Dumbledore said. "So if we are going to search for these Horocruxes, we'll have to be careful."

"If the dark lord gets a whiff of what we are trying to do then he shall want to find his horocruxes before we do and hid them in a different place," Snape said.

Dumbledore was silent and Hermione had a feeling he was coming up with an idea. "That is marvelous, Severus," he exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Severus, when the dark lord calls you again, tell him that we think there may be more horocruxes out there besides his diary. It'll be the truth but it may just get the dark lord to reveal whether or not he has more than one Horocrux," Dumbledore said.

"That is a brilliant plan," Sirius said.

"Only one problem, what if he still doesn't reveal that he has more horocruxes? Severus may be a part of the dark lord's inner circle but that does not mean he hears all of the dark lord's plans," Remus added.

"Yes that is true. However, Severus is very good at decoding one's body language, even the dark lord's, so if the dark lord does not wish to say anything about more horocruxes then Severus may be able to tell if there are more just by his body language."

"That only works if I can catch him off guard," Snape said.

"I'm sure this sudden question will catch him off guard, my boy. Besides, you're supposed to be spying on the Order for him so you're supposed to give him some truths every now and then."

"True." There was a moment of silence before Snape added, "I doubt he will call me anytime soon but I will remember this plan. Whether it works or not has not been decided yet."

"Great then we shall remember this. Once we discover if there are more horocruxes then I'll call an emergency meeting and we will begin brainstorming ideas on how to find them."

"Quick, retract the ear, the meeting's ending," Ron hissed to Fred who nodded before quickly retracting the ear while Hermione kept an eye on the door to warn them if it suddenly opened while they were still outside of their rooms. Once the ear was safely in Fred's hand again, the twins and the others quickly ran back into their room, disappearing into it just as the door to the conference room opened.

"What are horocruxes?" Ron wondered aloud.

"I believe they have something to do with immortality," Hermione said. "I remember seeing a brief mention of them while I was studying for History of Magic. I believe I still have the book with me." She walked over to her bag before she began to look through it until she pulled out her History of Magic textbook and began to flip through it.

The door opened and Hermione quickly pushed the book back into her bag as Sirius glanced in on them. "You can come back out if you want," he said.

"No, we're fine. In fact, Fred just challenged me to a game of Wizard's Chess and I wanna see if I can finally beat him," Ron said quickly.

"You wish, little bro," Fred said with a snort.

Sirius's eyes gleamed with amusement. "All right," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning then." With that, he disappeared and, sighing with relief, the others gathered around Hermione as she pulled out her textbook again before flipping through the pages.

"Here it is," she said softly before she scanned the words. "There isn't much. It says that Horocruxes were used sparingly, or not often, in ancient times when a witch or wizard wanted to live on for a very long time. They would seal a part of their soul into an object, it could be a book, an artifact, a piece of clothing, etcetera, and if they die then they may be reborn so long as their horocrux is still around somewhere."

"An immortal Voldemort? That's a scary thought," Harry said shuddering.

"It is," Fred and George chorused at the same time.

"Is there any way to destroy it?" Ron asked.

"It doesn't say but I'm sure there is. I mean, Dumbledore mentioned Tom's diary and that was destroyed when Harry put the basilisk's tooth in it."

"I really don't anticipate trying to get basilisk poison just to destroy these horocruxes if they are out there," Harry muttered.

"The elder members of the Order will take care of them," Hermione said closing her book before slipping it back into her backpack.

"But what if they can't? Or what if they don't know where to look for it?"

"Having a spy in Voldemort's inner circle certainly does help," Hermione said. She was slowly gaining confidence in saying the dark lord's name without her voice shaking too much while she said it.

"We won't worry about it now, it's probably just a rumor," Harry said.

"Yeah, that might be the best thing to do," Ron said. "I'd hate to think about what my mum would do if she found out we found out about the horocruxes because we were eavesdropping on their meeting."

Harry smiled and Hermione could tell that he was thinking the same thing, only about Snape. She sighed before gazing at her friends. "So what now?" she asked.

"Well, since I already did say that I was going to do this, do you wanna play a game of Wizard's Chess, Fred?" Ron asked.

Fred grinned. "Be prepared to lose, little bro," he said.

Ron snorted although his eyes glittered in amusement.

* * *

><p>School started quickly after that and Harry found himself sort of looking forward to the first day of classes after the winter holidays. With Umbridge as High Inquisitor and many more rules being passed, it would be all the harder to hold DA meetings though. Sighing, Harry walked alongside Hermione and Ron as they walked toward the Great Hall.<p>

"Hey, Potter!"

Harry glanced over his shoulder as Draco jogged over to join them. "Malfoy, what brings you here?" he greeted him.

"Nothing much, really, although I was wondering if…that meeting is tonight," Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Same time as always," he said quietly.

Draco nodded. "See you there then," he said also quietly before he jogged away.

"Well, he hasn't betrayed us yet," Hermione mused.

"I still don't believe it," Ron muttered.

Harry rolled his eyes but didn't bother arguing with his friend as he led the way into the Great Hall and they took their seat at the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore greeted them all once everyone was seat before the breakfast began and then classes began soon after that.

"Potions first, ugh," Ron complained when he saw his schedule.

"It's better than DADA," Hermione pointed out.

"True."

Harry laughed before the three of them walked over to the dungeons and Harry was a bit surprised when Draco fell into step beside them. "Mind if I walk with you?" Draco asked.

"I guess," Harry replied confused.

"Goyle and Crabbe are getting on my nerves," Draco muttered. "They keep trying to convince me to join that extra credit club that Umbridge started. It's bad enough I have to spend an entire class period with her, I really don't want to spend afterschool with her as well."

"My sentiments exactly."

Draco smirked. "For once, we actually agree on something, Potter," he said.

"Shocking," Ron muttered and was promptly elbowed in the side by Hermione.

Whether Draco heard him or not, Harry didn't know. Instead Draco asked, "Do you want to be partners in Potions today?"

This caused Ron to stumble in his shock and Harry and Hermione quickly had to stretch out their arms to prevent him from falling. "Did I hear Malfoy right? Did he just ask to be your lab partner in Potions?" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm shocked too," Harry admitted.

Draco shrugged. "Rivalries need to be put aside, remember? And this might be the best way to at least start that," he said.

"He's right about the whole rivalries need to be put aside thing," Harry admitted. "All right, Hermione and Ron have already decided to pair up as well."

"What about Neville?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sure Seamus won't mind being his partner."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

With that, the Golden Trio, and Draco, walked into their Potions classroom. They were the first ones to arrive so they quickly went to their desks while Snape watched them, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully when he saw Draco and Harry sit beside each other.

He walked over to join them. "Glad to see you two are getting along," he murmured quietly to them before he disappeared into his office.

The rest of the class began to file in and everyone stared in utter shock when they saw Draco and Harry sitting beside each other. Seamus and Neville were on the verge of fainting while Goyle, Crabbe, Parkinson and Zabini just stared at the seemingly worst enemies not killing each other.

"Take a seat!" Snape barked as he swept his way into the classroom and noticed almost the entire class was still standing at the door looking dumbfounded.

Everyone hastily hurried to their seats while Snape walked in front of them, instructing them on the potion they were to create while spelling the instructions onto the board.

"You get the ingredients, I'll start preparing everything," Draco said.

Harry nodded before, once Snape gave them the all clear to get started, he got off of his seat before walking to the ingredients store. Since Snape had gotten him a pair of brand new glasses to go with the pendant around his neck for Christmas, Harry was able to read everything on the board clearly for the first time in a long time.

Grabbing the correct ingredients, he walked back to the lab table and placed the ingredients on it. "I'll do the dicing," he said before he and Draco began to work systematically on the potion in spite of the shocked and betrayed looks they were receiving from their respected houses. The only ones who weren't looking betrayed where the Gryffindors that were a part of the Defensive Arts club that Harry had created.

When they were finished, Snape came to their side before examining the potion for a long moment, looking a bit surprised. "Not bad," he said dryly. "It could have been a bit darker but otherwise not bad. Ten points to Gryffindor and Slytherin."

Draco grinned while Harry couldn't help but smile when the shocked looks were thrown once again at them.

"Bottle up the potion and place them on my desk," Snape ordered as he swept his way back the front of the classroom, after criticizing Neville and Seamus's work, which he always did.

Working together, Draco and Harry bottled up their potion before placing them on Snape's desk as class ended. Hermione and Ron also walked to their side before the four of them began walking to their DADA class, ignoring the shocked looks they were receiving from everyone.

"Bloody hell, it's not as if you two suddenly grew dragon wings and goat legs," Ron muttered as they entered their DADA class.

"Tell me about it, it's annoying," Draco grumbled.

"You might as well get used to it. It'll probably be going on for quite a while," Harry said.

Draco snorted. "Oh joy," he said sarcastically before he walked over to sit beside Hermione while Ron and Harry sat just behind them.

Hermione glanced at him but didn't argue as she turned her gaze back to the front as Umbridge, in all her frilly pink glory, walked into the classroom. "Welcome back from the holidays, class," Umbridge greeted them sweetly. "I do hope you had wonderful holidays and a wonderful day so far."

"It was wonderful until we came in here," Ron muttered.

Umbridge glanced at Ron. "Five points from Gryffindor for that comment, Mr. Weasley," she said.

Harry noticed the Gryffindors toss Ron a glare while the Slytherins snickered.

"Five points from Slytherin for snickering at your classmates expense."

That caused the Slytherins to groan while the Gryffindors, and Draco, smirked at their expense. Draco kept his smirk hidden though and Harry had a feeling his new ally believed his house deserved that deduction of points.

"Everyone please open to chapter 4 in your books," Umbridge ordered once the books were handed out to the class.

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss. Granger?"

"We have not finished covering chapter 3 yet," she said.

"We went over this at the end of last term, I assigned it for homework. Whether you did the assignment or not is not my problem," Umbridge replied.

Hermione resisted the urge to sigh but nodded slowly before lowering her hand as Umbridge went on with her lesson. Harry resisted the urge to sigh and he found himself hoping this class would end quickly.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was the nine page chapter 19 and no, I didn't use Draco's POV, he'll be in the next chapter, I promise you**

**Darth: that's cool, how long is this story going to be?**

**Blaze: the way I have it planned, it may be well over thirty chapters**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: as for the horocruxes, I will tell you this now, there will only be a total of six (five since Tom's diary was already destroyed) and they will be destroyed in ways that are most likely not used in the book so don't flame me on that and Harry is NOT one of the horocruxes in my story**

**Darth: cool but why did you tell us that?**

**Blaze: just in case I forget to mention it when that part comes out**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: please review and I will post chapter 20 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon.**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

The Great Hall was packed with students and they were all gossiping about the same thing; Harry and Draco's sudden friendship. None of them could believe that the Gryffindor and Slytherin were actually friends. The rumors that started spreading were quickly cut short when more pressing rumors started to surface. And for that, Draco was glad; he really didn't need to have rumors be spread around, especially if they are about him.

He was now walking down the hallways toward the Room of Requirement room, using the Notice-Me-Not charm that Potter had taught him in the last meeting. It was now the third meeting of the term although it was already three weeks into the term. They would have met sooner had Umbridge not been getting close to discovering them.

Potter had found a way to divert Umbridge's attention although he wouldn't tell the members of the DA club what it was that he did. Draco had a feeling it had something to do with the long discussion that he saw Umrbidge, Filch and Snape were having while he was making his way to the room.

He slipped into the room unnoticed before canceled the charm as the door disappeared behind him. Potter glanced at him. "Did anyone notice you?" he asked.

"I used the Notice-Me-Not charm," Draco replied curtly.

"He was just asking, Malfoy," Ron growled.

"And I was just answering, Weasley."

Potter sighed. "Today we'll practice the Patronus charm," he said. "All you have to do is picture something in your mind, a happy moment, and then say _expecto patrona_ with much conviction." He pointed his wand at the ground before saying, "_Expecto patrona_," and the ghostly image of a stag appeared before them before galloping around the room when Potter moved his wand.

"Go ahead and try it," Potter said. "Remember, the words have to be spoken with much conviction."

"_Expecto patrona_," Lovegood called and the ghostly image if a rabbit appeared although it didn't last long and soon disappeared.

"Good so far but you have to concentrate to keep it a bit longer," Potter said.

And before long, everyone was casting the spell and Draco could see that everyone was getting results similar to Lovegood's on the first try, even he did. He pointed his wand before shouting, "_expecto patrona,_" with as much conviction as he could utter. A moment later, the ghostly image of a cobra appeared before slithering across the ground, startling all the girls in the club.

Potter smiled. "Now you just have to pull it back," he said and Draco nodded before doing just that.

"Try what Malfoy just did," Potter called to the others.

"Why?" Weasley complained or at least it sounded like complaining to Draco.

"Because he's the only one that got his Patronus to last longer than five seconds," Lovegood said. She pointed her wand at the ground. "_Expecto patrona,_" she shouted and the rabbit reappeared before hopping across the room and didn't disappear this time. Granger smiled before she also cast the spell and the ghostly image of an otter appeared before it began to flip in midair as Granger moved her wand.

Before long, the others were also able to hold their patronuses for a long time. Potter smiled. "You're picking this up quick," he said. "For the rest of the meeting, we'll continue to practice the other spells that we've learned since before Christmas vacation. I suggest that you work on your weakest skills."

Draco and the other members of the club nodded before they separated and started to practice with their spells. Potter walked among them, correcting some, merely observing others. The Weasley twins worked side by side with each other while the youngest Weasley was practicing her magic spells with Longbottom. Granger and the second youngest Weasley were practicing their Patronus while Potter watched them.

Draco cast the Patronus charm before watching in amusement as the snake slithered past Ginny Weasley, causing her to scream briefly before she glowered at Draco who was grinning.

"_Expelliarmos,_" she shouted and Draco was sent flying backwards.

"Hey!" He protested.

"Payback," the youngest Weasley said with a grin.

"Note to self, never anger a Weasley again," Draco muttered to himself as he picked himself to his feet.

The second youngest Weasley scowled at him. "_Stupefy,_" he barked out.

"_Protego,_" Draco shouted back and the Shield charm flared around him, instantly deflecting the stunning charm and it slammed into Weasley, sending him flying backwards.

Potter sighed. "Old grudges definitely die hard," he muttered. "Come on, you two, we're supposed to save this for the dark lord," he added in a louder tone as Weasley, growling, got to his feet. He pointed his wand at Draco who aimed his wand back at the second youngest Weasley.

At that moment, a crash sounded in the area where the door to the Room of Requirement sounded and Potter glanced up. "What was that?" he asked.

Another explosion sounded and this time it produced a hole in the wall. Potter moved forward before peering out of it and, his eyes widening, shouted, "Move back!"

Everyone instantly complied and Draco shield his eyes as the wall suddenly exploded inward and Umbridge walked in with Filch, Goyle, Crabbe and a few other members of the extra credit club. Goyle and Crabbe looked shocked to find Draco there but Draco ignored them.

"I knew it, I knew there was something going on behind this wall," Filch exclaimed.

Umbridge pointed her wand at the leaders of the DA club, which Draco was even if he was accepted reluctantly by the other leaders. The other leaders were the ones that first signed up for it; they included Potter, of course, the second youngest Weasley, Granger, Lovegood, and Longbottom.

"You six are coming with me," she said pointing to the six leaders of the DA meeting.

Weasley smirked. "Looks like if we go down, you're going down with us," he muttered to Draco.

"Shut it, Weasley," Draco growled back. _Oh, I hope that my father doesn't find out about this, _he thought.

* * *

><p>"I knew it, I knew that you were trying to take power away from me," Minister Fudge said gleefully as he, Umbridge and Shacklebolt confronted Dumbledore while Harry and the other five leaders of the DA club were being held at the end of the wall with wands pointed at them. Cho, it turned out, was the one that revealed the DA club and Harry found himself feeling betrayed, both by Cho and by Snape, who insisted that a diluted version of the truth serum would be given to any member of the club that was caught.<p>

Dumbledore examined the three Ministry members for a long moment. "And why do you think that?" he asked calmly.

"You're creating an army," Fudge said pointing to the students behind him.

"It wasn't his fault, it was all my idea," Harry shouted, he didn't want Dumbledore to get into trouble for something he did.

"I thank you for your help but the list clearly says 'Dumbledore's Army', my boy," Dumbledore said, he was still as calm as ever as he stood behind the desk and examined the Ministry members and the students.

"You are under arrest," Minister Fudge said. "You'll go to Azkaban for this."

"Do you honestly believe that I shall, how do you say it, come quietly?" Dumbledore asked raising his eyebrow.

"Enough of this," Umbridge said before she, Shackletbolt and Fudge advanced on Dumbledore who winked at Harry before holding his hands above his head. A moment later, Fawkes flew into the room before grabbing Dumbledore's hands and the two of them disappeared in a bright flash of flame.

Shacklebolt shielded his eyes before smiling faintly. "You may not like it, Minister, but you can't deny it. Dumbledore's got style," he said.

Fudge glowered angrily before glancing at the students. "Don't think you'll get out of this without being punished," he said curtly before he left the students with Shackletbolt just behind him and Umbridge was left alone with the students in the Headmaster's office.

Harry didn't really like this.

Later that day, after a grueling detention for every member of the DA club, Harry walked down the corridors to Professor Snape's classroom, hoping that he was there. Sure enough, Snape was there, finishing grading papers while he sat behind his desk.

"Come on in, Potter," Snape said not glancing up from his work and Harry slipped into the room.

Snape then glanced up before casting a Silencing charm and gesturing for Harry to sit down. "I heard about what happened with your club and Dumbledore," he said.

"Cho told them," Harry said.

"No, actually Miss. Chang did not tell them," Snape said. "I told you I would give any member of DA a diluted version of Veritaserum and that's what I did. Umbridge didn't believe anything Miss. Chang said, in spite of the veritaserum and so followed her when she went back to the meeting. She forgot to cast the Notice-Me-Not charm and they caught up with her. That's how you were found out."

Harry felt relieved to know that his guardian hadn't betrayed him as he had thought. "But it's my fault Dumbledore had to leave," he said quietly.

"Harry, if we're going to play the blame game then you may as well include me as well. I was the one that has been teaching you everything you taught your club members and I was the one that knew about it and didn't reveal it to anyone," Snape said.

"Won't you get fired if they find out you were behind it as well?"

Snape snorted. "Harry, I did not become a master spy in the dark lord's inner circle for nothing," he said. "I shall be fine. You'd best get to your common room before you get into more trouble"

"All right, thank you Severus."

"What for this time?"

"For diluting the serum," Harry replied. "I guess I'll see you in class."

"Yes, I guess you will."

Harry nodded before turning around and jogging out of the Potions classroom.

* * *

><p>Ron glanced up as Harry sat down beside him at the Gryffindor table, Draco was also there but he kept to himself in spite of the glares he was receiving from the Gryffindors. "Hey mate," he greeted him.<p>

Harry smiled slightly. "I'm sorry for getting all of you into trouble," he said softly to Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, Luna who was also sitting with them in spite of the house differences, Fred, George and Ginny, the last three of whom hadn't been charged with being leaders of the club.

"It's fine, mate," Ron said. "It wasn't as if it was your fault."

"What are you two doing at the Gryffindor table?" Umbridge asked Luna and Draco sweetly as she walked down the hallway toward the staff table, which seemed so lonesome without Dumbledore.

"If I may say so, there is no rule in Hogwarts that say students from other houses cannot sit with each other," Luna said dreamily.

Umbridge growled angrily. "It's not common and therefore should not happen," she said curtly.

"If I may interrupt," Snape said smoothly walking to Umbridge's side, "I gave permission for Mr. Malfoy to sit here."

"And I gave Miss. Lovegood permission to sit here," Flitwick added.

"And as their heads of houses, we can do that," Snape added.

"He is right," Hermione said quietly. "The rule book says that the Heads of Houses have the power to allow students to sit at the tables of different houses so long as they are not hexing each other or breaking any other school rules."

"These six are the ones that broke one of my rules. It's only because of the Minister's insistence that they haven't been expelled," Umbridge snapped.

"Yes but that has nothing to do with this problem," Snape said silkily. "As the rule book says, the Heads of Houses may allow students of different houses to sit with each other so long as they are not hexing each other or breaking other school rules."

Umbridge scowled but nodded curtly before stalking to the table and Flitwick walked after him. Snape glanced at Harry before nodding once, lightning fast, and followed the other teachers to the staff table.

"Wow, that was close, I thought we were going to get in trouble for sure," Draco said with relief in his voice.

"That's the last thing we need," Hermione agreed.

"I am sorry about this," Harry said.

"Don't be, Harry, we all knew the consequences when we signed up for it," Neville said.

Ron could tell that Harry still felt guilty and he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look at it this way, if it weren't for Snape then we would have been discovered ages ago," he said.

"Yeah, it was only a matter of time. It wasn't as if we could have kept this a secret forever," Hermione added.

"They're right, Potter," Draco said. "I'm actually a bit surprised you managed to hide the club from the teachers for as long as you have. And what did you mean by if it weren't for Snape then you would have been discovered ages ago?"

"Er…" Ron could kick himself for the slip of the tongue and he tossed an apologetic look at Harry.

Harry shrugged before gazing around and, when he noticed no one was watching him, cast a Silencing charm over the leaders of the DA club. "Snape was the one that's been helping us stay hidden since I started the club," he said. "He's also the one that's been teaching me the spells I've been teaching you."

Luna didn't look surprised although Neville and Draco did; their eyes were proof enough of that. "Why would he do that?" Draco asked.

"If you want to know then I suggest you ask him. We swore we wouldn't speak of it to anyone," Harry replied.

Draco looked about ready to protest before he sighed and nodded in agreement. "I suppose I will if I have the time, especially since the OWLs are coming up and Headmistress Umbridge is more concerned about those than about the dark lord," he said.

"The entire ministry is more concerned about trivial matters than about the dark lord's return," Hermione said.

"She's right," Harry agreed. "We won't be able to gather anymore and I feel sort of bad about that. There was so much more I could have taught you just from what I've learned so far from Snape. Snape's like a dictionary when it comes to spells, hexes and curses."

Ron smirked but kept his thought to himself, knowing full well if he so much as uttered his thought then he would break his Wizard's oath. "We'll come up with another way," he said.

"Hopefully we will."

* * *

><p>While Umbridge oversaw all the classes for the next several weeks, Severus was busy running back and forth between Hogwarts, Grimmauld's Place, where Dumbledore was hiding out, and Voldemort's side, although when he was called to Voldemort's side, it was only for a brief meeting, too brief to tell him what Dumbledore wanted Severus to tell the dark lord.<p>

That was until one week before the OWL examinations.

Severus was dueling with Harry in their quarters, Harry having snuck away from Gryffindor Tower with his invisibility cloak, when he received the call. Hissing in pain at its suddenness, Severus gripped his arm and Harry glanced at him in concern.

"He's calling you?" he asked.

Severus nodded.

"All right, I'll show myself out then."

"Use your invisibility cloak and cast the Notice-Me-Not charm as well," Severus said and Harry nodded before he let himself out while Severus readied himself for going to the dark lord who was located in Malfoy Manor.

Voldemort examined his followers as they all gathered around him before he said, "The last few meetings have been short but this one is not, I must know of what is going on with the Order of the Phoenix now that the Ministry has taken over Hogwarts." He turned his scarlet gaze to Severus. "Severus!"

"Yes, my lord?" Severus said genuflecting at the dark lord's feet, he still hated doing that.

"What news have you brought?"

"Dolores Umbridge has taken over as Hogwarts next headmistress, no one knows where Dumbledore is and," Severus decided now would be the perfect time to put Dumbledore's plan into action. Lifting his gaze slightly so that he could observe the dark lord's posture, he said, "and Dumbledore is getting ready to go searching for more horcruxes like your diary from about three years ago."

He had taken the dark lord off guard enough to where the shock momentarily stiffened his body, instantly telling Severus that there were more horcruxes. Growling angrily, Voldemort started to pace. "He shouldn't know about the others," he hissed. "Not to mention, for some reason, four of the five remaining ones were somehow moved from the location I placed them in and I haven't the slightest clue as to how."

_Four out of five remaining? That means there are a total of six, one was Tom's diary, four must be objects but what is the fifth? _He wondered silently.

"Does he know for sure that there are more?" Voldemort demanded.

"No, my lord, but Dumbledore is resourceful, it may not be very long before he does," Severus replied. In truth, it'll be approximately twenty minutes before Dumbledore will know about them.

"If Dumbledore attempts to go after four of the five remaining horcruxes, notify me immediately, Severus," Voldemort ordered.

"Yes, my lord," Severus replied.

"As for the rest of you, we will start looking for where the horcruxes have been taken," Voldemort said. "Keep an eye out for them. The four that were taken from the location I placed them at are easy to find, they are merely the four objects of the four founders of Hogwarts."

_Thanks for the information,_ Severus thought. The four objects of the founders were Salazar's locket, Helga's cup, Rowena's crown and Godric's ring and sword, although Severus didn't know which it was. He'd best tell Dumbledore about that so that they may find them quickly and destroy them but for now, he'd best stay quiet.

Voldemort ended the meeting and Severus, once everyone else had left, floo traveled to Grimmauld's Place. Albus glanced up at him as he walked over to join him. "He called you?" he asked.

Severus nodded. "And you were correct, Albus," he said. "There are five remaining horcruxes, four of them are the four objects of the founders of Hogwarts; Salazar's locket, Helga's cup, Rowena's diadem and Godric's ring or sword, although I don't know which one it is."

"Do you know where they are?"

"No, the dark lord says that someone managed to make it to all four objects and hid them in places that even the dark lord doesn't know of. They are searching for the objects now while I was sent here to see if I could ascertain some information from you on those objects," Severus replied.

Albus nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for them. Now that Umbridge has taken over Hogwarts, I have free time on my hands," he said.

Severus sneered. "This would never have happened had you not insisted on hiring Umbridge," he said.

"Actually this would never have happened had you not come to me directly when you first discovered Harry's Defensive Arts club."'

Severus stiffened and for a long moment was silent, not daring to speak while his face remained as impassive as ever.

"Do not try to lie to me, my boy. I knew all along about Harry's defensive club and your part in it. I may be old, Severus, but I'm not blind or stupid."

"Harry asked me not to tell you. I suppose he was afraid you'd stop it," Severus said.

"I would have done no such thing. Alas, I actually liked the idea and I'm glad that you took a part in it. I even hear Mr. Malfoy joined it as well," Albus said.

"After learning the dark lord was back, I assume he wanted to learn to defend himself. At least it got him and the Golden Trio from glaring at each other constantly."

"I think those four may be on the verge of becoming friends."

"Draco and Ronald friends? That is highly unlikely."

Albus chuckled. "You'd best get back to Hogwarts, my boy, before Umbridge notices that you're missing. She may assume that you went to find me and then you'll be in trouble," he said.

Severus nodded. "I'll come by if I get any more information," he promised before he turned around and floo traveled back to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: well that was chapter 20**

**Darth: I liked that chapter, what's going to happen in the next one?**

**Blaze: (thinks) The OWLs and we all know what happens then and a different version of the events that followed that**

**Darth: are you…?**

**Blaze: nope**

**Darth: why not?**

**Blaze: 'cause he's one of my favorite characters**

**Darth: oh okay**

**Blaze: another thing, this is very AU, as in IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE so there are only now five horcruxes, which are not the same as they are in canon, the four items that belong to the founders (for the sake of this story, the ring belongs to Godric so the stone is going to be different) and a fifth one and, once again, HARRY IS NOT ONE OF THE HORCRUXES!**

**Darth: you don't need to yell**

**Blaze: I just wanted to make sure my point had gotten across, this is IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE!**

**Darth: they heard you loud and clear, Blaze**

**Blaze: please review and I'll post chapter 21 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**A/n Once again, this is an extremely AU story so don't expect the events of OotP and expect some OOCness.**

**Chapter Twenty One**

The OWL examinations took place the following week but with Headmistress Umbridge watching everyone it made it almost impossible for Hermione to concentrate on the test. Fred and George had made it clear they were going to try to do something to liven up the test however. Hermione wasn't entirely sure as to what the twins were up to and, frankly, she was a bit afraid to find out.

She also found herself thinking about the horcruxes she and her friends overheard the Order talking about. Harry had revealed to her that Snape had gone to the dark lord's side and he had seen the meeting, discovering that there were five remaining horcruxes, four of which were items that belonged to the founders of Hogwarts; Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin.

She wondered what those objects were but she tried to push the thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrate on her test. The steady scratch of quill on parchment was the only thing that could be heard in the Great Hall and Hermione could tell many of the students were on the verge of falling asleep; Draco and Ron were two of those students.

The silence was suddenly broken by the sound of a firecracker going off at the back of the classroom. Everyone turned their heads as one as another fire cracker was tossed into the room and exploded into the air. A moment later, owls flew rapidly through the Great Hall, Hedwig among them, chirping and hooting happily. Hermione had a feeling Hedwig was the one that convinced the other owls to do this and she smiled slightly.

"Woohoo!" Fred and George shouted as they flew into the Great Hall on their broomsticks, tossing firecrackers every which way as they flew onward, causing Umbridge and Filch to immediately leap to their feet.

"Stop that this instant," Umbridge shouted.

Fred and George laughed before a few of the magical firecracker combined to form a dragon that chased after Umbridge, causing her to flee the Great Hall. Hermione, along with the other students ran out of the hall in time to see the dragon destroy all of Umbridge's rules before disappearing.

* * *

><p>Cheering erupted from the students and Harry and his friends hurried out onto the patio balcony to way as Fred and George continued to toss firecracker after firecracker into the air. He could see that the teachers were also watching everything but were doing nothing about it.<p>

In fact, Flitwick looked satisfied while McGonagall just looked resigned and Pomona smiled happily. Even Snape, standing in the shadows of the balcony, was having a lot of trouble keeping a smile from gracing his facial features. Harry laughed as the Weasley twins tossed a bunch of magical firecrackers in the air that created a glowing orangish red W in the air.

That was when Harry started to feel lightheaded and he felt a dark push on his mind, he recognized it instantly. Quickly putting up his barriers, Harry focused on keeping his barriers as strong as he possibly could. It ended up working, pushing the dark lord away, but a vision, one accompanied by a much gentler push, ended up sneaking past his barriers, causing him to fall onto the ground in surprise.

_He was walking down a long dark corridor; there was nothing in front of him and nothing behind him. No windows or doors lined the corridors and it was eerily silent as if something had come in and drained all the noise away. The corridor widened out until it revealed a large chamber room, one filled with many artifacts used in medieval times such as armor, swords, etcetera._

_The darkness was penetrated by thin rays of sunlight that seeped through the window when the curtains were blown back by a seemingly imaginary breeze. A fireplace alit in the corner, flames glowing brightly and smoke coiling upward into the chimney above it could be seen._

_There was an almost awe inspiring sensation that surged through the room, providing Harry with a sense of wonder and recognition as if he felt he should know this place. It was darker than ever before but gradually more sunlight began to filter through the curtains at the other end of the room._

_The darkness slowly faded as a wand lit up, lighting the entire room and Harry looked around until he realized that the wand was his. He frowned and found himself wondering as to what was happening and why he was here. He knew he wasn't in Voldemort's mind because the touch that had drawn him into this vision had been too gentle to ever belong to the dark lord. Still wondering as why this was happening, and through who's eyes he was seeing, Harry started to walk around the room._

_He spotted a mirror at the other end of the room and he walked toward it before peering into the class, hoping it wasn't like the Mirror of Erised. It wasn't and it turned out to be an ordinary mirror, showing that Harry was seeing through his own eyes. This startled Harrys so much that he couldn't help but back up and gaze around, more confused than ever._

If I am seeing myself then is this my own vision? Am I so different that now I can see the future?_ He wondered silently._

_He walked around some more, using his wand to light the area until he spotted something on the table. It was small and with a small ruby situated in the center of it. The ring was lying beside a piece of parchment although there were no words written on the parchment._

_Harry stretched out a hand before touching the ring and he immediately felt a sense of cold darkness coming off of the ring. He didn't know why he felt that but he had a feeling he understood as to what the ring was trying to tell him. He recognized the cold darkness that he seemed to feel in his vision, he only ever felt it when he was in the presence of the dark lord Voldemort._

_The ruby ring was one of Voldemort's five remaining horcruxes._

_Swallowing, Harry quickly hurried to the window before gazing out of it, trying to find anything that'll help him to identify this place. All he could see was extensive woods lying in front of him although there was the sound of the sea lapping against rocks to the side of him. Wherever this place was, it was located on the coast._

But that could be any place! _Harry thought._

_When he felt the vision start to fade, he quickly hurried across the room to find something, _anything, _which may tell him of where this place was located. The only thing he spotted that may provide him with a clue was a section of the room where two bookcases lay side by side with each other. There were many other things in the room, which was starting to look like a combination of two rooms, all of which Harry quickly memorized for later use._

_The last thing he remembered seeing was a gentle face peering at him, a woman's face with emerald eyes. "You will become a great wizard and I believe you will win this war, my son," the woman whispered and then she was gone and the rest of the vision shattered._

* * *

><p>The instant she saw Harry collapse, Hermione hurried to his side before kneeling down beside him and Ron quickly jogged over to join him. In the shadows, Hermione was surprised to see a brief gleam of concern in the Snape's obsidian gaze but he stayed still. "What happened?" Hermione asked quietly.<p>

"I know where one of the horcruxes is and what it is," Harry whispered quietly.

"You do?" Ron gasped.

Draco walked over to join them at that moment and had overheard Harry's statement. "What are horcruxes?" he asked also keeping his voice quiet. Hermione had a feeling Draco had come over to see if his friend was all right.

Harry swallowed. "I'll tell you later," he whispered.

"Where is it?" Ron asked.

"That's the whole thing. I only saw the room where it's located but nothing after that, nothing to determine what that place is. I do know, though, that it's on the edge of a forest and on the coast."

"Well, that narrows it down," Hermione murmured. "We'll look into it when we return to our common room."

Harry nodded.

"It wasn't the dark lord then, was it?" Draco asked.

Harry shook his head. "That's another thing that's really odd. Just as the vision disappeared, I, sort of, saw my mother," he said.

Ron's eyes went wide. "Your mum?" he echoed. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"We'll talk about this later," Hermione said when she noticed some of the other teachers were beginning to notice something was wrong with Harry. She, Ron and Draco helped Harry to his feet as McGonagall walked over to join them while Umbridge and Filch continued trying to get Fred and George down from the sky.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, just a fainting spell," Harry lied smoothly.

Hermione resisted the urge to sigh, she had a feeling Snape was beginning to rub off on his ward. "We should take him back to the common room just in case it gets worse," she said.

"Good idea. Umbridge is having her hands full trying to get Fred and George down after all," McGonagall said there was amusement in her voice.

Hermione nodded before she, Ron and Draco guided Harry off of the balcony and toward the Gryffindor Tower. She wasn't all too surprised when Snape moved to intercept them, his face as impassive as ever. "And where do you four think you're going?" he asked silkily.

"Harry's having dizzy spells so we're taking him back to Gryffindor Tower," Draco said. He was the only one among the four that didn't know that Snape was Harry's guardian.

Snape sneered. "Well, get to it then," he said curtly. "We wouldn't want our precious golden boy to faint again now would we?" With that, he swept away although he did cast a brief concerned glance at Harry as he walked, one that went unnoticed by Draco but noticed by everyone else.

"Sometimes I wonder why Snape doesn't like you," Draco mused.

"It's a complicated story," Harry replied. "Come on, I think we should find out as much information as we possibly can."

"But what are we going to do with that information? Umbridge is in control of Hogwarts and the only one who can use that information is Dumbledore and who knows where he is," Hermione protested.

"What if we find the horcrux ourselves? If we do then we can prove to the Ministry that the dark lord is back by presenting the horcrux to them," Harry said.

"Now you're talking crazy. The Ministry wouldn't believe the dark lord is back if he was standing right in front of them," Draco said with a snort.

"But with Dumbledore who knows where, we can use this information and find the horcrux. If we can destroy it then the dark lord will not be as powerful if what we read about them is true," Harry said.

"Harry's right," Ron said after a moment's thought.

"We'll be breaking every rule in the book," Hermione protested. "It'll get us expelled from Hogwarts for sure, especially with Umbridge in charge."

"Not to mention if the dark lord found out, considering I think these horocuxes have something to do with him, then he'll likely be going after them himself," Draco added.

"But we have to do something," Harry protested.

"We should tell a teacher at the least," Draco said.

"No, they won't listen to me, I don't trust them and I won't go to them for help," Harry said firmly although there was a slight crawl of fear in his voice.

Hermione had a feeling those feelings of distrust were implanted in Harry because of his deplorable upbringing due to the Dursleys.

"Harry, this isn't our fight," she said quietly, trying one last time to get through to him.

Harry glowered at her. "It is our fight, or at least it's my fight. The dark lord tried to kill me as a baby and he will try again and if I can weaken him then it'll be that much easier for Dumbledore to finish him off. If you don't want to help me, I understand, but I'm doing this. I won't allow anyone else to die because of me." With that, he shrugged off his friends and jogged quickly toward Gryffindor Tower, not once glancing back.

* * *

><p>"He's going to get himself killed," Ron exclaimed.<p>

"He doesn't trust adults enough to go to them for help," Hermione surmised. "I suppose that's because of his upbringing."

Draco raised an eyebrow at that.

"Harry will tell you when he feels ready to do so," Hermione said. "The point is, he is going into this by himself because he doesn't trust adults, even Snape, enough to go to them for help."

"I don't want him to get killed. I'm actually starting to like him," Draco said. "I'm going to go help him."

"So am I. He's my best mate after all," Ron said.

Hermione smiled faintly. "I'm with you too," she said.

"With you where?" Luna's voice sounded and Hermione glanced over her shoulder as Luna, Ginny, and Neville walked over to join them.

"Er…" Ron began.

"Harry's on the verge of going on a suicide mission and we're going with him to help him make it out of that mission alive," Draco said.

"Why don't you just go to an adult?" Neville protested.

"Do you honestly think anyone will believe us?"

"True."

"Well, I for one am going with you," Ginny said before she glared at Ron when her brother opened his mouth to protest. "I'm going and you can't stop me!"

"Fine," Ron growled. "But be careful, I don't want to lose you."

"I know, bro, I know."

"I'll go too," Luna said dreamily.

"So will I," Neville said and Hermione could tell he was trying to muster as much bravery as he possibly could for this upcoming mission.

"Well, let's go find Harry and tell him that we have his back," Hermione said.

The others nodded before they jogged after Hermione as she led the way to the library, where Hermione was sure Harry had gone to find more information on the place. As they ran, Hermione found herself wondering when she let someone like Ron or Harry rub off on her. She knew the smart thing to do would be to go to a teacher and tell them but she felt a sense of loyalty for her friend, one that she didn't want to betray. She also felt a sense of adventure at the prospect of finding and destroying a horcrux, thereby weakening Voldemort. If they weakened Voldemort by destroying his horcruxes then there will be a good chance that the Order of the Phoenix will be able to win the war that was brewing on the horizon.

Even though it was stupid, dangerous, reckless, and possibly life-threatening, Hermione found herself actually looking forward to the quest.

* * *

><p>Draco found himself half looking forward to the quest and half thinking that it was the most stupid, reckless and dangerous thing he has ever done, which just made it all the more exhilarating. He followed Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville as they led the way into the library, where Hermione guessed Harry would have gone to find information on the place he saw.<p>

Sure enough, they found Harry looking through one of the books at the back of the room and he glanced up as they approached. "What do you want?" he asked curiously.

Hermione sat down beside Harry. "We decided that we're not letting you go on this mission alone," she said.

Harry's eyes went wide. "You don't have…" he began.

"Don't you dare say we don't have to, Potter," Draco snapped. "We want to and that's all there is to it. We'll follow you if we have to but we're not letting you do this alone." _Ah great, when did I become a Hufflepuff? _He complained silently.

Harry's eyes gleamed. "Thanks guys but I don't want to put your life into danger," he said.

"As Draco said, we'll follow you if we have to," Ron said.

"You called Draco by his first name," Harry noted.

"Er…Well, since we are allies, we may as well know each other's names," Ron said.

Draco smirked. "Yeah, what Ron said," he said.

Harry sighed. "All right," he said. "Since I won't be able to get rid of you anyway, I've found some places that may be the location but I'm not sure, they don't have good enough pictures for me to match it with my vision."

"What did you see in your vision again?" Hermione asked.

Harry's brow furrowed in thought. "I didn't see the sea, although I smelled it and heard it hitting rocks, which told me that the place was on a cliff overlooking the sea since the sound of the sea was close. There was also the edge of the forest directly in front of me."

"What of the ground beneath you? How far were you above the ground?"

Harry narrowed his eyes in thought. "Grass," he said finally. "There was also a stone path that led into the forest, one like the one that leads to Hagrid's hut. I think I was about five stories above the ground."

"And the windows? What did they look like?"

"They sort of looked the windows here at Hogwarts although smaller."

"It sounds like we're looking for a manor," Hermione said. "Do you remember anything else?"

"There was a mirror in the room I was in and bookcases and some medieval artifacts," Harry said. "And the ruby ring was on the table next to a piece of parchment with no writing on it. I also think there was a bed but it was a bit dark although I did see the outline of one."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "A bed chamber then," he said. "And from the sounds of it, a female bed chamber since I don't know any males who have a mirror in their room."

"That narrows it down a bit," Hermione said. "It's located in a woman's bedroom in a manor on the coast and on the edge of the forest." She pulled out one of the books on the table before flipping through it. "Well, don't just stand there, you guys, we're going to need more hands if we're to find this manor. There must be some mention of a manor that matches the description," she added crisply, getting right down to business.

Draco and the others immediately went to work but after an hour of searching, they came up empty handed.

"Ugh, what else could we find that'll narrow down everything?" Ron complained push a book away disgustedly.

Hermione looked thoughtfully. "We've been looking for named Manors," she said. "Why don't we try looking for unnamed or abandoned manors? Manors that haven't been used in such a long time that witches and wizards have forgotten about them."

"Good idea," Ginny said.

It ended up being Luna who found a picture of an abandoned manor located on the coast of Northeastern Ireland. The picture matched Harry's description of the place down to every detail, including the winding stone path leading into the forest. The picture was of a side view of the manor, taking in the manor, the backyard, the sea and the forest, which allowed Harry to easily point out each thing he saw in his vision.

"Ireland? That's a long ways from here," Ron said. "Is it possible to floo there?"

"It says here that this manor is a part of the British wizardrying district," Hermione said. "It was once known as Seaside Manor until it fell into disrepair and everyone abandoned and forgot about it. If it was once a wizard's manor then there is now doubt in my mind that there's a floo there."

"And if we can't floo there?" Draco asked worriedly.

"Then we fly of course," Luna said dreamily.

* * *

><p>While Neville kept guard on the outside of Professor Umbridge's office, the only place with a working floo besides Professor Snape's quarters, which Harry didn't want to use for fear of getting caught by Snape, the six other companions walked into the office. Ron narrowed his eyes as he followed his friends, none of them noticing the cat that had disappeared in a picture on Umbridge's wall.<p>

When they reached the floo, Ron heard Draco mutter, "Where's the floo powder?"

"It should be here somewhere," Harry replied.

At that moment, the lights came on and a sweet voice said, "And what are you doing in my office after curfew hours?"

Sitting up so sharply that he hit his head on the desk with a thud, Ron stared in shock as Umbridge walked into the office with Crabbe, Goyle and Zabini just behind her, Zabini pushed Neville into the room. "Your little friend here tried to keep me from coming up here," Umbridge said sweetly before her extra credit club members instantly swarmed forward to push the companions against the wall, taking their wands, while Crabbe grabbed Harry's arm and tugged him forward.

Harry was pushed into a chair while Umbridge placed a quick floo call to Professor Snape before she pointed her wand at Harry. "Why are you in here? You're going to find Dumbledore, aren't you?" she demanded.

"No, I'm not," Harry protested honestly. Ron knew he wasn't lying because he doubted that Dumbledore was in Northeastern Ireland somewhere.

"You're lying," Umbridge retorted.

At that moment, Snape appeared and Ron could tell he was disappointed to see Harry there although his face barely registered the feeling in his eyes. "You wished to see me, Professor Umbridge?" Snape said smoothly.

"Yes, I need a dose of veritaserum," Umbridge replied.

"I am afraid you used the last of it on Miss. Chang," Snape replied.

Umbridge scowled.

Snape left but Ron was surprised to see him standing in the shadows beside the door as if he expected trouble with Umbridge. His concerns were correct for Umbridge smirked at Harry. "I have ways of getting the answers I need. I'm sure the Cruciatus curse will loosen your tongue," she said.

"That's illegal," Hermione protested.

"What Fudge doesn't know won't hurt him," Umbridge said sweetly lowering the picture of the Minister before pointing her wand at Harry.

"_Stupefy!_"

The sudden spell caught Umbridge off guard and Umbridge was sent flying to the ground. Snape, glowering angrily at Umbridge with a protective gleam in his eyes, walked into the room, his wand pointed at Umbridge.

"What is the meaning of this?" Umbridge demanded.

"You were about to use an Unforgiveable on a mere boy," Snape growled. "Even if it is Potter, I cannot and will not let you do such an act." He glanced at Harry for a long moment before adding, "Why, might I ask, are they here?"

"They were trying to use my floo to go to Dumbledore."

"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape asked.

Ron noticed he immediately went to a member of his own house as if expecting Malfoy to tell him the truth. However, since Draco swore on his magic to not betray Harry or his friends, he could not tell Snape the truth, even if Snape would, sort of, understand. Ron also noticed that Draco was trying his hardest to come up with a plausible excuse that'll please Snape.

"Since it's the weekend, we were just going to visit Harry's godfather," Hermione said quickly to save Draco from having to come up with his own lie.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Sirius invited me over for dinner," she lied easily surprising Ron.

Snape nodded slowly. "I find no fault in that," he said although his eyes were coolly calculating. "Although, I will have to take this up with Mr. Black before I may let you go."

"They're lying," Umbridge screeched starting to push herself to her feet but Snape's wand cast another stunning charm that sent her right back down.

"You may go back to your common room and I will inform you when I have spoken with Mr. Black," Snape said.

Ron, as relieved as everyone else was, nodded before the seven companions quickly left the room. Ron didn't want to know what Snape was planning on doing to Umbridge, the protective gleam in Snape's eyes suggested something even Ron couldn't fathom.

"Now what?" Ron asked quietly as they walked down the outdoor walkway.

Luna smiled. "We fly," she said.

"But our brooms were taking away from us."

"Who said anything about brooms?"

"And Sirius has been teaching me about my animagus ability when I wasn't training with Snape or in class or conducting the DA meeting, during the weekends mostly," Harry said. This was true, Ron remembered seeing Harry transform into a dove at the edge of the Forbidden Forest with Sirius at his side one weekend a few weeks before winter holidays, well before Umbridge became High Inquisitor.

"So I can follow you part of the way just in case there aren't enough, er, whatever it is Luna is thinking of."

"There actually aren't," Luna admitted. "There would have been had we not decided to take Draco with us but since you can transform into a dove, it won't be that much of a problem."

"You will be able to transform back, won't you?" Ron asked while Draco was wide eyed with shock.

"That was something Sirius and I focused on primarily," Harry replied. "So I'll be fine. I'll have to land on one of your shoulders though. Broken wing or not, I was still exhausted by the time we reached outskirts of the Forbidden Forest during the summer."

Hermione, seeing Draco's confused look, sighed before glancing at Harry. "Do you mind if I tell Draco everything about you and the horcruxes?" she asked.

"Go ahead."

Ron glanced over his shoulder. "We'd better get going before Snape catches up with us and finds out where we are actually heading," he said.

"Good idea," Harry agreed.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: the part with Sirius teaching Harry about his animagus ability was never a scene in an earlier chapter although it did happen. It was just too brief to bother putting in my story**

**Darth: and, once again, this is set in an ALTERNATE UNVERSE so of course the location of the horcruxes, and what the horcruxes are, are not as they are in canon**

**Blaze: I have warned you plenty of times that this was an extremely AU story so don't flame me because everything isn't going as it went in canon**

**Darth: yup**

**Blaze: so please review and I'll post chapter 22 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Chapter Twenty Two**

While Harry and his companions were flying to Ireland to find the abandoned Seaside Manor, Severus was left to deal with imbecilic ministers and annoying pink headmistresses. A throbbing headache was starting to form in Severus's mind as accusations from the minister and excuses from Umbridge were tossed at him and at each other.

Having enough, Severus pointed his wand at Umbridge before stunning her. "As I was saying," he said curtly. "I know Miss. Granger, she does not lie. If she says that she and her companions had been invited to go to dinner at Sirius Black's house then I believe her. That is not the point here, the point is that Umbridge here was on the verge of using an Unforgiveable on a student."

"We only have your word on that, Severus," Minister Fudge said flatly. He didn't trust Severus only because the master spy had once been a Death Eater.

"If I have to, I'll give you my memories. I heard her say she would use the Cruciatus curse on one of the students and she even went as far as to say that what you don't know won't hurt you."

Fudge glowered at Umbridge. "I'll get both your memories and Umbridge's, Severus," he said. "To be on the cautious side, however, I'm sending Shacklebolt over to arrest Umbridge and bring her to the Ministry just in case this leaks out into the media."

Severus nodded.

"By the way, Severus, do you by chance know where Dumbledore is?" Fudge asked.

"No idea," Severus lied impassively.

"Very well. When we are in need of your memories, I shall let you know," Fudge said before his head disappeared out of the floo.

At that moment, the floo flared to life and Shackletbolt stepped out of it. He walked over to Umbridge who, hissing in protest, struggled until Shackletbolt, irritated, petrified her. When he picked her up, he grumbled, "She's heavy," before flooing back to the Ministry.

Lips quirking in the beginnings of a smile, Severus waited until the flames died down before he, too, floo traveled out of the pink office. He went directly to Grimmauld's Place and wasn't too happy to be greeted by Sirius Black. "Black," he growled.

"Snape," Black growled back.

"Where's Albus?"

"He said he'd be back in a few moments, he wanted to check out something in Muggle London," Black replied.

Severus nodded. "I want to ask a question. Did you invite Harry and his companions over for dinner this weekend?" he asked. He had a feeling he knew what the answer was going to be.

Black looked confused. "No," he said. "I haven't spoken with Harry since I gave him his latest animagus training last weekend. Why? Did he say that?"

"He was trying to use Umbridge's floo and Miss. Granger said that he was coming here. She normally never lies but I could tell that she was," Severus said.

"So where is my godson?"

"That is what I am trying to figure out."

At that moment, Hedwig flew into the conference before hooting and chirping quickly, flying in a circle above their heads. Severus glanced at the boy that had wormed his way into Severus's heart's familiar that circled them. "Where's Albus when you need him?" he growled knowing he couldn't understand a single word Hedwig was saying.

"Here, I think I know the correct spell," Black said pulling out his wand.

"You get this wrong, Black, and I'm hexing you to Pluto," Severus growled.

"Relax, Snape, I know what I'm doing."

Severus sincerely doubted that.

Black cast the spell and Severus felt it cascade over both him and Black before it faded away. A moment later, the hooting and chirping turned into words. "You need to help, you need to help. Harry's heading into danger and he's too stubborn to back out of it," Hedwig chirped loudly.

"Danger? What kind of danger?" Black asked worriedly.

"You can understand me?" Hedwig chirped in surprise.

"No time for that now. What kind of trouble is Harry heading into now?" Severus asked irritably.

"I don't know. He was last seeing leaving Hogwarts with his human companions in his dove form while the rest of his companions rode on top of flying creatures," Hedwig replied.

Severus glowered angrily. "What is that little brat doing?" he growled out. He placed a hand on his chest, where he wore the counterpart pendant that he had given to Harry for Christmas. If the pendant on his neck warmed then Severus would know Harry was in danger. "He isn't in danger yet, that much I do know but where is he going?"

"I don't know."

"Do you know who went with him?"

Hedwig landed on Severus's shoulder before tipping her head to one side as she thought. "The humans Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny and Draco," she replied.

"Now what the bloody hell do they think they're doing?" Severus said curtly.

"It's no use getting mad, Snape," Black snapped. "We need to find Harry."

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

"I'll get Remus to help us," Black said before he disappeared out a nearby door. As he left, however, Severus's arm started to burn.

_Why does he seem to call at the most inconvenient times?_ Severus complained silently before he glanced at Hedwig. "Tell Black that the dark lord is calling me and to go ahead and find Harry without me," he said before he hurried away when Hedwig chirped an affirmative.

* * *

><p>Hedwig circled the room while she waited for the human Sirius to come back with the semi human Remus. Hedwig could tell that Remus wasn't entirely human but she kept her observations to herself. Sirius walked in before narrowing his eyes. "Where did Snape go?" he asked.<p>

"He said to tell you that the dark lord called him and to conduct the search without him," Hedwig chirped.

"What did she say?" Remus asked.

Sirius cast a spell over Remus before looking at Hedwig. "Are you coming with us?" he asked.

"Of course, my boy is out there," Hedwig chirped indignantly.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Hedwig," Sirius said soothingly.

"We'd best get moving," Remus said. "I'll leave a quick note for Albus and the rest of the Order and then we should get going."

Hedwig was impatient by the time Remus finished the note and he and Sirius got their brooms before they quickly lifted off into the air outside of Grimmauld's Place before flying rapidly away from Muggle London. Hedwig flew after them, gliding silently in between the two brooms.

"Where are we going to start looking?" Remus asked as they flew just beneath the clouds but just high enough so that no muggle could see them.

"They were heading south from Hogwarts when I last saw them," Hedwig chirped.

"We'll start there. It looks as though they may be heading toward Ireland. Why they're going there, I do not know," Sirius said before he, Remus and Hedwig turned their brooms and wings toward Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"They must be going to Ireland for some reason but why? The British Wizardrying world only has power in the northeastern section of Ireland," Remus said.

"Who knows? That's perhaps were they are going. I agree with you on the fact that they're heading to Ireland. We should probably send word to Albus and tell him that's where the kids are going," Sirius said.

"Is that wise? I mean it would be a good idea to send Albus a note but he's already in trouble with the Ministry of Magic as it is. What if the letter fell into the media? Not to mention that the letter may also fall into the dark lord's hands and the dark lord doesn't need to know that Harry left the protection of Hogwarts."

"Yes, that wouldn't be a good idea, would it?"

Remus shook his head before glancing at Hedwig. "Are you sure they are heading toward Ireland?" he asked.

"All I know is that they were last seen heading south," Hedwig replied.

"We'll have to assume they are heading toward Ireland and go there. Hopefully we'll be able to find them and bring them back before something bad happens," Remus said.

"Yes, I hope so," Sirius agreed.

* * *

><p>Harry flew in between Hermione and Draco, his small wings gliding through the air as the wind current carried him across the sky. The breeze was gentle enough to guide Harry but not rough enough to knock him out of the sky. The creatures on which his companions were flying flew at the same speed as Harry and so they were able to not only make good time but also keep up with each other.<p>

Keeping one eye on ahead of him, Harry listened as Hermione explained everything about him; from what happened with the Dursleys to Snape becoming Harry's guardian to discovering the horocruxes. She had first insisted that Draco, as well as the other companions who Harry had agreed should know as well, swear a Wizard's Oath to not reveal what they learn to anyone and then, to conclude, she told them, quietly, about Snape being a spy for the Order of the Phoenix in the dark lord's inner circle.

Draco's eyes were huge. "He's a spy?" he gasped. "My father never told me that. He only told me that he and Professor Snape were good friends and allies, I never would have thought Snape would be a spy."

"We're supposed to keep it on a down low," Hermione said quietly. She glanced at the other companions, aside from Ron, and noticed the surprised looks in their eyes. "Remember, you swore a Wizard's Oath to not reveal what you've learned here to anyone. It could jeopardize this entire effort to prevent a war."

"We know what a Wizard's Oath does, Hermione," Ginny said. "And we did swear it so we can't break it now."

"I can't believe you lived such a bad life, Harry," Neville said his eyes wide.

Harry lowered his head sheepishly.

"Harry only told us about it when we spotted something out of the ordinary about him when we first met him," Ron said.

"But why didn't you go to an adult?" Draco protested. "Professor Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, even Snape! Snape has never taken kindly to child abusers before."

Harry shook his head before glancing at Hermione, trying to convey a message to her even though he knew that she couldn't understand him. He cooed a few times and Hermione seemed to have gotten the gist of what he was trying to say.

"It has something to do with his relatives," Hermione said.

"I'm about ready to hex his relatives to the dark side of the moon," Ginny muttered.

"You and me both," Neville agreed quietly.

Harry cooed in amusement. _My friends are awesome,_ he thought.

"How much longer do we have to fly?" Draco asked turning his gray gaze to Luna as the girl led them over the sea and toward the island country of Ireland.

"We shouldn't be too far away now," Luna said quietly. Harry could tell that she was saddened by what she discovered about Harry's former home life and shocked to discover that Snape was a spy for the Order. "Harry, Professor Snape does treat you right, right?" She asked suddenly.

Harry nodded before cooing an affirmative.

"That's good." Luna was silent for a long moment before she turned and glanced at Ron. "Since you're supposed to be looking out for anything that might pose a danger to us, have you spotted anything?" She asked dreamily.

"Nope," Ron replied after surveying the area quickly.

Harry felt his wings tire and he flew over to Ginny before landing on her shoulder, causing the girl to glance at him in surprise but she smiled, stretched up a hand and gently touched Harry's feathers. "Feel free to stay there until we reach Ireland," she said before she turned her gaze back to the sky ahead of her to prevent her from crashing into anything.

"Hermione, where are we exactly?" Neville asked.

"We should be coming up on Northeastern Ireland any moment now, Ireland isn't too far from Scotland after all," Hermione said. She pointed toward a landmass that was rising up in front of them. "There, that should be it."

"We'd better stay high. We don't want the Irish muggles to see us," Ginny said.

"We'll fly around the coast and see if we can find the Manor," Luna said softly. "Hopefully we don't have to fly too far, our rides are starting to tire."

Harry noticed that almost immediately and he nodded slowly before cooing and spreading his wings. He flew off of Ginny's shoulder before flying up to land in Luna's shoulder so that he would have a better chance at indicating where he had spotted the manor in his vision.

Luna glanced at him briefly, seeming to understand why he had come to her before she turned her attention back to the sky as they rose higher into the air to where their mounts were nearly touching the clouds. "Do you suppose you'll be able to see the place from this height?" she asked.

Harry shook his head; he knew he would have to get closer.

"I don't think Harry's vision is good enough up here to locate the manor so he's going to have to fly down there," Luna said pointing toward the island.

"Be careful, mate, there's no telling who might be down there," Ron warned him.

Harry cooed indignantly, he was always careful, well as careful as he can be that is.

"Don't overstrain yourself," Ginny said. "We don't want you falling out of the sky and into the sea."

Harry glowered at Ginny who merely chuckled. "That really doesn't work when you're a dove, Harry, it just makes you look cute."

Harry felt mortified at that. The last thing he needed was for his friends to start calling him cute whenever he's in his dove form.

"You don't call guys cute, Ginny, you just don't," Ron said while Draco snickered under his breath.

"He is cute though," Luna said dreamily and Hermione agreed.

"Girls," Ron said rolling his eyes with a long despairing sigh while Harry cooed in resignation.

He spread his wings before flying off of Luna's shoulder and moving downward toward the island country. When he noticed no manor and no forest yet, he flew upward and landed on Ginny's shoulder before shaking his head in a negative.

"Well then we'd best keep going. Wait, do you remember if the sun was up in your vision?" Hermione asked as if the thought had suddenly occurred to her.

Harry cooed an affirmative.

"Was it on the east side or on the west side?"

Harry tossed a glare at her, asking her how in the world was he supposed to answer that.

"Oh right, well was the sun above the sea, coo once for yes and twice for no," Hermione said.

Harry thought about it for a moment before cooing once.

"All right, if the sun was at the sea then the manor is likely to be on the east side of the island,"

"How'd you figure that out? For all we know, it could have been a sunset," Ron protested.

"Did you see the sun move at all?" Hermione asked Harry.

Harry cooed once after a moment's thought.

"Did it go up or down when it moved? Coo once for up and twice for down."

This caused Harry to think for a long moment, he hadn't really been paying attention to the sun. However, he had noticed that the sun had changed position when he had looked through the window to try and figure out where he was located and the sunlight that came through the window had changed position as well. He cooed twice.

"Then it was setting, which means the manor is on the eastern side of Ireland."

"And if the sun was setting and Harry was seeing it from the manor on the east side then it's likely the manor is facing the forest, which means the forest is north of the manor," Draco said after thinking for a long moment.

"That would make sense. Perhaps that's why we didn't find it before," Hermione said. She glanced at Harry. "Do you suppose you can go down there and check to see if we're right?"

Harry cooed once in reply before diving downward off of Ginny's shoulder and flying toward the island. This time, he flew a bit further inland, flying close to the tops of the trees he saw. He spotted a forest and flew toward it before coasting just above it, heading south of where the forest was located. Exactly south of the forest, approximately ten kilometers from where his friends were located, Harry spotted the manor.

The manor lay on the coast, its' front facing the forest while its' back was facing the sea and the forest surrounded the northern and western sides of the manor. The eastern half was a cliff with the sea lapping at the rocky bottom of the cliff. The windows of the manor were a smaller version of the windows at Hogwarts and there was a winding stone path leading into the forest.

_I found it,_ Harry thought. He was absolutely sure that this was the manor he had envisioned and he cooed happily before he spread his wings further and flew upward rapidly toward where his friends were gathered. When he reached his friends and landed on Ginny's shoulder, he cooed happily.

"You found it?" Ron asked.

Harry cooed an affirmative.

"Well, can you lead us down there?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded before flying off of Ginny and flying toward the manor, glancing over his shoulder to find his friends guiding their mounts after him. As he flew, he noticed something was odd when he was about a kilometer above the manor and his friends suddenly stopped.

"We can't go further. There's some sort of magical shield around the manor that won't let us through," Hermione called.

Harry cooed in concern before flying to his friends' side and he thought for a moment. If there was a shield around the manor, one most likely created by the owner to prevent anyone from disturbing the house after it was abandoned. It wasn't likely that the shield extended too far out.

He cooed before flying south of the manor, diving down every few meters to see if his friends could follow him. When they couldn't, he flew further and finally, about a kilometer and a half south of the manor, passing over a wall about half a kilometer from the manor, he managed to find a clearing. He landed on a tree branch as his friends landed in the clearing below him.

"The shield covers the manor this far out apparently," Hermione said.

"That means we'll likely have to go the rest of the way on foot," Ron grumbled.

Harry flew off of the tree branch before concentrating as his godfather had taught him and he shimmered into his true form. "Well, the sooner we get the horocrux the better," he said.

"How big do you suppose the manor is?" Luna asked.

"I don't know. While I was trying to find a place where you didn't have to worry about the shield, I noticed that a wall surrounded the manor about a kilometer from where we are now," Harry replied.

"So why would they extend the magical shield out a kilometer and a half when the wall is only a half kilometer away from the manor itself?" Hermione wondered aloud.

"Who knows? Come on, we should get going," Harry said. "You can all turn back now if you want to."

"No way, mate, we're in it to the end," Ron said and Harry's other friends echoed it.

Harry smiled. "Thanks guys," he said. "I couldn't have better friends." With that, he led the way north of the clearing they were in and toward the manor that held the first of the five remaining horocruxes within its' walls.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: this was a bit shorter than I would have liked but oh well**

**Darth: I liked it**

**Blaze: once again, this is in AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE so nothing happens as it does in canon**

**Darth: you've said that like twenty times**

**Blaze: I know so please review and I will post chapter 23 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Severus joined the other Death Eaters as they gathered around the dark lord Voldemort although he was a bit surprised to find that they were not gathering at their usual meeting place. Instead, they were in an abandoned wizard's manor somewhere on the outskirts of muggle London although Severus couldn't pinpoint where it was they were exactly. He found that his thoughts were more focused on his wayward ward than on anything the dark lord was saying but he forced himself to listen just in case he was called upon.

"After searching through every available source of information, Bellatrix managed to find one of the horcruxes that was moved from its' former location," Voldemort said curtly. "She said that it is located in a manor somewhere in Northeastern Ireland. Why it is that far away, I have not the slightest clue."

"How she found it is none of your concern. What matters is that she found it but she found it a bit too easily so I believe that Dumbledore may also know where the horcrux is located so we'll have to be on our guard when we go to Ireland. Severus, you shall accompany us," Voldemort said.

Severus inclined his head in acknowledgment although, on the inside, he found himself scowling to himself. His ward was out there somewhere, who knows where, and he had to follow his supposed lord on a mission to _Ireland _of all places. He hoped that Harry was all right; he was starting to really care for the boy even if he was refusing to admit it out loud. In spite of being James Potter's son and having James's looks, Harry was every bit Lily's son, from his manner to his determination to his eyes. Even though he refused to admit it, he knew that Lily and James Potter's son had somehow wormed his way into Severus's thawing heart.

"We shall leave within the hour," Voldemort said. "That way, our spy will have a chance to give a plausible excuse to the new headmistress of Hogwarts for why he will not be there for a couple of days."

Severus was now glad that Umbridge had taken over Hogwarts; now Voldemort had no choice but to let Severus have a chance to tell his supposed superior that he won't be in because Umbridge had the Minister's ear. Not that Umbridge was currently in Hogwarts since she was arrested and McGonagall was placed as temporary headmistress until Dumbledore could be found. The dark lord didn't need to know that however and so Severus merely nodded and the rest of the Death Eaters disappeared with the dark lord to prepare for the trip.

Apparating to a spot directly in front of Grimmauld's Place, Severus made his way into the apartment building before up to the conference room. He was sure that Albus was back and he was also sure that Black and Lupin had left a note telling Albus as to where they were going. As he entered the conference room, he could tell that something was wrong just by the tension that was in the air.

Albus was reading a note in his hands and he slowly placed it on the table before glancing up, worry in his eyes. "Hello Severus," he greeted his master spy. "Padfoot mentioned that you had gone to the dark lord's side, any news?"

"He's discovered the location of one of the horcruxes and said we'd leave within the hour to allow me a chance to tell Umbridge, or actually McGonagall now, that I won't be in for a couple of days," Severus replied.

Albus nodded. "So you shall be joining him on this mission?" he asked.

"He requested that I join him so I have no choice."

"Where are you going?"

"A manor located in Northeastern Ireland."

Albus's eyes filled with worry. "I see," he said quietly.

Severus narrowed his eyes, he could tell that something was bothering Albus but he didn't know what it was. "What's the matter, Albus?" he asked finally.

Albus hesitated for a long moment before sliding the note over and Severus took it before reading what Lupin wrote:

_Dear Albus,_

_When you receive this message, we'll most likely already be gone. Snape came to me and told me that Harry's friend Hermione__ had said something about coming over to Grimmauld's Place for the weekend but I had no knowledge of this. Snape automatically noticed that Hermione was lying but he didn't know where Harry was and neither did I._

_Hedwig, Harry's familiar, came by and I __had to cast a spell over both Snape and I so that we could understand her. She said that Harry had transformed into a dove and left with his friends, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Draco, the last of which startled me a bit. She didn't say where __they were heading, however._

_I'd best get going. Hedwig is getting impatient and I really don't want to have my ears nipped off._

_Moony_

"Another note also just arrived," Albus said. "This one was written by Padfoot and it seems to have been rushed and a bit windblown as if he had written it while flying. Hedwig brought it and she told me that she had insisted that Moony and Padfoot send another note so they had given it to her to carry. To be safe, though, Padfoot had spelled it to where only I could break the spell on it so that I could read it, just in case."

Severus took the note that Albus was holding out before opening it and reading it, feeling his heart drop like a stone as he read Black's words:

_Albus_

_Hedwig, Harry's familiar, insisted I write th__is note even though it's taking a lot of time that could be spent finding Harry but, like Moony, I don't want to get my ears nipped off._

_Anyway, Hedwig has given us some more information on the location of Harry and his friends. It would seem that they we__re last seen heading south of Hogwarts and Moony__ and I have deduced that they a__re heading toward Northeastern Ireland. Why they are going there? I don't know._

_I'd best get going before the wind tears the note out of my hands, its' already threatening to __do so._

_Padfoot._

"That little idiot!" Severus exclaimed placing the note on the table before he started to pace, his eyes filling with concern and anger, both of which were directed at the boy that was his ward. "How could he be so stupid to actually leave the safety of the wards?"

"I'm sure he doesn't know that the dark lord is heading there," Albus said quietly.

"That makes matters all the worse," Severus growled. "I will have no choice but to battle him if I see him or else it'll make the dark lord suspicious. I also see no way to get word to him to tell him that the dark lord will be there and I'll be with him. Why couldn't the boy have just gone to his common room as he was told to? Of all the foolish Gryffindor things to do!"

"Getting angry is not going to help Harry, Severus," Albus said. He stood up before adding. "I'm going to contact the rest of the Order and have them get ready. Padfoot and Moony should be able to help Harry and his friends should they need it until the rest of the Order arrives."

"Yes and how am I supposed to let the little brat know that he can't hesitate if he's dueling me? I told him once before, when they went out into the town just before winter holidays but I'm not sure if he will listen to me," Severus growled. "Sometimes I wonder if anything I say penetrates that boy's thick skull."

"You'll have to hope that he remembers your words should he see you there," Albus said softly.

"But why is he going there? Unless…" Severus's eyes went wide with horror. "He knows! He knows about the horcruxes! He has to know or else he would not be heading directly for the place where the first one is located."

"Severus, there is no way to prove you are correct."

"It is the most logical decision. Even Harry is not stupid enough to go on a journey to Ireland unless he has a reason and this may be the only reason he has. Besides, I would not put it past Harry to have listened in to our conversation about the horcruxes or to envision the meeting when the dark lord confirmed the existence of the horcruxes. That idiotic little brat!"

"Severus, you're basing all of this on speculation, I know that much. Alas, I think you are correct even if it seems a bit too reckless for Harry."

"Too reckless is not in Potter's vocabulary," Severus growled so angry and worried that he self-consciously switched back to calling his ward by his last name.

"I will call the rest of the Order right away, my boy, and I'll send word to Padfoot and Moony and warn them of the dark lord," Albus said.

Severus nodded. "I'd best get back to the dark lord's side. Warn Minerva that I will not be in for a few days," he said.

"Of course, my boy."

Severus turned around before leaving the apartment building and apparating to join the dark lord, thinking of how long he was going to ground his ward for this latest venture of his.

* * *

><p>Draco followed Harry as the young wizard led the way through the forest, pushing aside low hanging branches and leaping over upturned roots. The canopy of leaves above blocked out most if not all of the sunlight from above and Draco found that it was difficult to see the forest floor or the invisible trail they were supposed to be following. He found himself wondering how he had gotten himself into this mess and he had a feeling it had something to do with the friendship that had blossomed between him and the Boy-Who-Lived.<p>

"How far have we gone?" Ron gasped.

"Only about half a kilometer, Ron, come on, don't start complaining now," Hermione said rolling her brown eyes.

"I'm not complaining," Ron growled. "It just feels as though we've been walking forever."

Draco smirked. "And that's not complaining?" he asked.

"Shut it, Draco!"

"He's right, Ron. Come on, we've only a half kilometer before we reach the wall I saw," Harry said before he moved into a jog and Draco and the others jogged quickly after him. Draco found that it was easier to navigate his way through the forest when they neared the wall because the trees thinned out quite a bit when the wall came into view.

"So there's forest on this side of the wall and a forest on that side of the wall?" Ginny asked.

"Not for very long," Harry replied. "Like I said, there's a trail at the other end of this wall that cuts through the forest and then it's only a few meters or so until we reach the front doors of the manor."

"Do you suppose we're the only ones that are here?" Neville asked fearfully.

"I'm sure we are," Harry assured him. "It's not as if anyone else knows what we know."

"That we know of," Luna said quietly but ominously.

"Let's not worry about that now, let's worry about getting up and over this wall and we'll worry about what happens after that afterwards," Harry said before he turned his gazed back to the wall. Draco noticed that the wall was at least ten meters tall and at least a meter thick.

"And how do you suppose we get over it?" he asked.

"Look," Luna said softly pointing and her friends turned to find her pointing toward a large tree with a thick branch that rested on top of the wall.

"Perfect," Harry said with a small smile.

"But I can't climb," Neville protested as Harry and Luna led the way to the tree.

"Don't worry, Nev, we'll help you up," Ron assured him.

Ginny climbed up the tree first, using the branches closest to her to pull her up before she slowly climbed to the thick branch that rested on the wall. Hermione followed her and Ron came next, those two helped Neville up. Draco went next while Harry and Luna brought up the rear of the group.

"One at a time," Harry murmured. "There's no telling how much weight that branch can support."

Ginny went first, gripping the branch and slowly crawling across it. It dipped under her weight but not enough to shatter the branch and she managed to make it to the wall unscathed. "It can hold my weight," she said.

"Neville, you go next," Harry said and Neville, hesitating, nodded slowly before he slowly crawled across the branch. He inched his way along and the branch dipped alarmingly under his weight but didn't break and he also managed to make it to the wall without breaking the branch.

Hermione crawled across next, then Ron, then Draco, and then Luna and Harry brought up the rear of the group as he was the lightest of them all. When Harry reached the wall, he climbed onto it before gazing down into the forest that lay below him. "All right, the tough part is going to be getting down from here," he said.

"See any more tree branches, Luna?" Ginny asked.

Luna shook her head.

"This would be a perfect time to have rope or a grappling hook," Harry muttered.

"Can't we just summon one?" Draco asked. "There's bound to be one close by, perhaps in the manor itself."

"We can try, I suppose."

Draco cast the Summoning Charm and watched as a grappling hook flew toward them from the manor that lay half a kilometer away from them. "See? The people who used to live in this manor must have liked climbing," he said.

"Either that or someone else tried to get into the manor and used the grappling hook to scale the wall," Hermione said.

"That's a possibility." Draco narrowed his eyes before aiming the hook and tossing it. It went sailing across the air before lodging itself in one of the thick tree branches above another thick branch. "There, that way when we land, we'll have less of a chance of breaking the branch beneath us."

While Draco lodged the rope attached to the hook firmly on the wall, he watched as Luna pulled off her sweater, shivering slightly as the cool breeze touched her skin, as it was cool in Ireland in spite of it being near summer break, before she slide down the rope with the sweater on either side of it. "That was fun," Luna said happily.

Harry smiled. "She has the right idea," he said also taking off his sweater before following Luna's example.

"My mum's gonna kill me for this," Ron muttered but he also followed the others' example and Draco watched as Hermione used her outer shirt, Ginny used her sweater and Neville used his sweater to slide down the rope. He followed them although he used the scarf his mother had given him.

"Did everyone make it in one piece?" Harry asked as Draco dislodged the hook and let it fall back to the wall before following his friends as they leapt, or climbed in Neville, Ron and Hermione's case, out of the tree.

"Yeah, we're all here," Luna said quietly.

"Good. This is the path I saw in my vision, we're almost there."

"Then why don't we get going?" Hermione suggested.

"It's getting dark," Ginny said glancing up through a gap in the trees and Draco could see that the youngest Weasley was correct.

Harry lifted his wand. "_Lumos,_" he whispered and his wand lit up, Draco and the others quickly followed his example and followed him as he led the way down the stone path toward the manor.

* * *

><p>Albus waited until all members of the Order of the Phoenix had gathered before he began to speak. "Severus has provided us with some desperately needed information," he said. "It would appear Voldemort has discovered the location of one of his five remaining horcruxes and has gone to retrieve it."<p>

"Where is it located?" Alastor "Mad Eyed" Moody asked.

"At Seaside Manor in Northeastern Ireland," Albus replied.

"That manor was abandoned ages ago," Nymphadora Tonks said. "Why would whoever took the horcruxes hide it there?"

"Probably for the same reason why he took the horcruxes to begin with, to keep them away from the dark lord," Albus replied. "How the dark lord came about this information, I do not know. However, we have more important issues concerning this."

"Such as?"

Albus took a deep breath. "Harry Potter is heading toward Northeastern Ireland as we speak," he said softly.

Gasps of shock could be heard all around them. "He's heading directly into the dark lord's path," Arthur Weasley exclaimed.

"Why would he do something so foolish?" Minerva McGonagall, having escaped the hustle and bustle of being temporary headmistress for a bit, protested.

"That is exactly what Severus said and I do not know. It is possible that Harry knows about the horcruxes and discovered this one's location. It is likely that he is going to the manor to destroy the horcrux but has no idea that Voldemort is also going there."

"Someone should warn him," Tonks said.

"Moony and Padfoot are on their way after Harry," Albus said. "I have been unable to contact them but they'll be able to protect Harry and his friends until we arrive."

"Are we to go now?"

"Not until I know the exact location of the manor and not until we figure out a way to do this without the Ministry finding out. They have been keeping an eye out ever since Umbridge was arrested and Minerva became the temporary headmistress," Albus said.

"Harry and his friends are in danger."

"Padfoot and Moony will give them what help they need until we can get past the Ministry. If we get caught by the Ministry then it'll only slow us down more."

Everyone could see that Albus had a point there. As the meeting drew to a close, Albus found himself hoping, wishing, that Harry and his friends would be all right after this upcoming battle.

* * *

><p>"There, there's the manor," Harry whispered pointing through the trees and Luna had to lean forward to view the manor. She narrowed her eyes and examined it for a long moment before glancing back at Harry.<p>

"We should be careful," she said.

Harry nodded. "We'll go out in pairs just in case anyone is watching. Hermione, you and Luna will go first," he said.

Hermione nodded before she walked to Luna's side and the two of them, after gazing around a bit, dashed across the grassy clearing before coming to a stop beside the door. Luna watched as Ron and Draco came next followed by Neville, Harry and Ginny. She turned her attention to the door as Hermione pointed her wand at it. "_Alohamorra,_" she whispered and the door instantly clicked open.

"Be careful, there's no telling if there are any traps," Ron murmured.

Luna nodded before she held out her wand. "_Lumos,_" she whispered and her wand instantly lit up. She waved it around but found nothing more than a dusty abandoned entrance hall. "All clear," she whispered before she slipped into the manor and her friends quickly followed her.

"What now?" Draco asked as he closed the door quietly behind them.

"We find the fifth floor and then the room that contains the ring," Harry replied.

"Let's get going then."

The group of friends had only gotten as far as the second floor when Harry suddenly clutched his scar and staggered backwards. Draco and Ron quickly went to his side as Harry blinked his eyes a few times, rubbing his scar. "He's here," he whispered. "Voldemort's here."

"What? How? When? Why?" Ron blurted out.

"I don't know but he's here. Not in the manor but most likely at the edge of the forest," Harry grunted. "We're going to have to hurry."

Luna wondered if Snape was going to be among Voldemort's Death Eaters. It was likely as he was spying on the dark lord for the Order and she found herself wondering if Harry knew that Snape was likely to be there. She moved to walk side by side with Harry as he dropped back to bring up the rear of the group as they started climbing the staircase leading to the third floor.

"You do realize that Professor Snape might be here as well, don't you?" Luna asked.

Harry's eyes grew pained. "I know," he murmured. "He already told me that if I have to face him while he's a Death Eater then I have to attack him and I can't hesitate but I don't want to accidentally hurt him."

"If you don't attack him then he'll get hurt either way because Voldemort will figure out something's wrong or worse, figure out the truth."

Harry nodded slowly showing that he understood before he glanced at Luna. "Come on, we're falling behind," he said before he jogged quickly after his friends and Luna, sighing, brought up the rear. She wasn't entirely sure if Harry had it in him to attack the man that had taken him away from his deplorable relatives and provided him with a home. Without knowing much of how the guardian/ward relationship had started out between the two of them, Luna knew that Harry deeply cared for Snape and, perhaps, loved him like a father figure.

_I hope he doesn't have to face Snape, _Luna thought as the seven friends jogged up the steps to the third floor. They were halfway up the steps to the fourth floor when an explosion sounded, causing the entire house to shake. Luna glanced downward but she couldn't see anything due to the zigzag staircase.

"I think they're inside," she said softly to Harry.

Draco grimaced. "That's the last thing we need," he said.

"Do you suppose your father's there, Draco?" Ron asked a bit smugly, Luna noted.

"Shut it, Ron! Just because my father is a Death Eater doesn't mean anything to me," Draco growled.

Luna was a bit surprised at that, she didn't know that Draco Malfoy's father was a Death Eater. She was learning all kinds of new information just on this mission alone, she mused. "There's no time for that," she said quietly. "We need to keep alert."

Which was what they had to do almost as soon as they arrived on the fourth floor for one of the Death Eaters had apparated directly to the fourth floor and spotted the friends. Before he could apparate back down to tell his master, Hermione pointed her wand at him, "_Petrificus Totalis!_" she said and the Death Eater was instantly petrified.

"_Mobilicorpus,_" Luna and Draco said before they lifted the body together and placed the Death Eater in a nearby room before Ron cast a locking charm, one he had learned no doubt form Hermione, on the door.

"Let's keep going, there may be more," Harry said before he jogged up the steps toward the fifth floor with his friends hot on his heels and an array of Death Eaters roaming various places in the house.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 23**

**Darth: what are you going to do ****in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: I ain't telling**

**Darth: please?**

**Blaze: nope**

**Severus: please?**

**Murtagh: please?**

**Blaze: nope**

**Anakin: please?**

**Blaze: okay (whispers what will happen in the next chapter in Anakin, Murtagh and Severus's ear)**

**Darth: meanie**

**Blaze: ****(laughs) please review a****nd I'll post chapter 24 as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it will be anytime soon and sorry for the slightly long author's note.**


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Chapter Twenty Four**

Severus resisted the urge to scowl as he followed the rest of his supposed allies as they scattered throughout the manor to find the item. He did not know where the horocrux was located although he had a very good feeling that Harry knew but he wasn't entirely sure if Harry was there yet or not. It was likely as Harry and his friends had a good head start when it came to heading out toward Ireland, a good day's head start to be exact.

Severus would not have been surprised if Harry had already found the horocrux and was back safely at Hogwarts although he had a feeling that it would not be that simple, especially if Harry was still here and knew of the Death Eaters that had just entered the manor. He gazed around when he noticed Lucius Malfoy walking over to join him, his face concealed by the Death Eater mask they were required to wear.

"Our lord says to check the fourth floor since one Death Eater had gone up there and never came back. We are to check to see what happened to him and figure out if the horocrux is up there," Lucius said.

Severus nodded before he and Lucius apparated directly to the fourth floor before walking down the long hallway of the manor. Splitting up the rooms that were located on the floor, Severus and Lucius walked among them, opening doors and searching rooms quickly.

"Severus!" Lucius called after opening one of the doors.

Severus walked over to join the Death Eater as he peered into the room, his lit wand held aloft. The master spy peered into the room in time to find their missing Death Eater petrified on the ground in the center of the room. "I wonder how that happened," Severus mused. He had a feeling he knew what had happened but was reluctant to bring it up. He knew that Lucius would be able to put two and two together quickly, he wasn't stupid.

Sure enough, a few moments late, Lucius swore under his breath. "Someone else arrived at the manor before we did," he hissed. He glanced at Severus. "Check the fifth floor while I tell our lord."

Severus inclined his head briefly in reply before he apparated to the fifth floor and gazed around. It was empty but not before Severus heard the movement near the staircase, which told him that Harry and his friends must have arrived just before they had, which meant they were close to finding the horocrux.

_Best not get in their way,_ Severus mused silently as he drifted off to the other end of the hallway and began looking through the rooms. He unlocked the door before slipping into one of the rooms to give his ward and his friends' time to get further away from the staircase. He held out his wand. "_Lumos,_" he muttered before his wand lit up and he started to search the room, not really thinking he'd find anything in this room.

As every one of the dark lord's Death Eaters knew much about the dark arts, they were all trained to sense the dark presence within objects, most likely precisely for this moment. Severus has always been more sensitive to dark magic than the other Death Eaters for some reason but he refused to admit that to his supposed lord. That was the only reason why he sensed that he was near the location of the horocrux but the horocrux was _not_ in that room.

It was in the room beside him, one close to where Harry and his friends were located. Deciding not to let that bother him, Severus apparated to the room opposite of the one where the horocrux was located to give his ward and his friends more time to find the horocrux.

He was definitely going to ground his ward for _six months_ after this little adventure was over with.

* * *

><p>Harry stepped on to the fourth floor but the instant a Death Eater appeared in hallway, he ducked back down the staircase, gesturing for his friends to stay where they were. Draco walked to Harry's side before peering onto the hallway with Harry as the two of them watched the hallways as the Death Eater opened a door and disappeared into the room. Once he was sure that the area was clear, Harry gestured for his friends to join him and the companions walked down the hallway.<p>

"We'd best start looking," Harry whispered. "Remember, its' a woman's bedchamber with medieval artifacts and a mirror in it."

"What about that Death Eater?" Draco asked

"If he really did pose a threat then he would not have just walked away since we did make a bit of noise when we reached the floor," Harry whispered.

"You think it was...well, you know?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I believe it is."

"He has to help the dark lord, remember?" Luna whispered quietly.

"Yes I know. For now we'll split up," Harry said quietly. "So far, I think he's the only one up here so we'll be safe for now. Luna, you, Ginny and Neville will be one group, Hermione and Ron will be next and Draco and I will be the last."

"That's fine with me," Hermione said.

"Let's get going," Ginny said before she, Neville and Luna walked over to one of the rooms and, casting the unlocking charm, slipped into it. Hermione and Ron entered the room next to that one and Draco walked alongside Harry as he walked to the third door that lined the hallway.

Harry pointed his wand to the locked door. "_Alohamorra,_" he whispered and the door unlocked before he walked into the room and lit his wand, waving it a few times. He noticed immediately that he was in a bedroom but the bedroom was different from the one he spotted in his vision.

"This isn't it," he said.

Draco shook his head. "It lacks the mirror for one," he replied. "Let's check the next one."

Harry nodded before he and Draco made their way into the room that was next to the first one and peered inside it. "A bathroom, next room," he said before he glanced up as his friends walked over to join him. He noticed that they were getting closer to the room that Snape had disappeared into so he had to be careful to avoid entering that room just in case.

"How many rooms until we reach the one he entered?" Luna asked.

"Three doors," Harry replied. "I'll check this one" he added pointing to the door to his side.

"We'll check the next one," Neville said quietly with a slight tremor of fear in his voice that he was trying to conceal.

"And we'll check the last," Hermione said before the groups split up and Harry entered the room next to him with Draco just behind him. They both lit their wands before scanning the room but Harry noticed, with some disappointment, that it wasn't it because it lacked the medieval artifacts.

"Harry!"

Harry ducked out of the room to find Ron standing in the doorway of the room next to the one Snape had entered. "Did you find it?" he asked jogging over to join his friend while Draco slipped into the other room to get Ginny, Neville and Luna.

"I think so, Hermione spotted the mirror and the medieval objects," Ron said before he gestured toward the room and led the way inside with Harry just behind him. His friends followed him and Harry lit his wand along with the rest of his friends before they scanned the area.

"This is it," Harry gasped shining the wand over the medieval artifacts and the mirror that lay across from the bed in the chambers. He started walking toward the desk where he had spotted the ring and he shone his wand over the desk, instantly spotting the ruby ring lying next to the piece of parchment as he had seen it in his vision.

Carefully, Harry reached out and gently took the ring in his hand. As he had in his dream, he could feel the dark coldness that came off of the ring, instantly telling him that it was the horocrux although he still wasn't sure as to how he learned. "I've got it," he whispered.

"Now we just have to get out of the manor _without_ the Death Eaters stopping us," Ron said.

"So how are we supposed to do that?" Neville asked.

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Let's see if we can figure out an escape route we can use to at least get to the courtyard. After that, we'll likely have to hide out in the forest until the Death Eaters leave."

"You really think they're going to leave just like that?" Luna asked dreamily.

"Probably not, at least not before the dark lord destroys the manor in his anger," Harry said as he tucked the ring into his pants' pockets. He led the way out of the room before gazing around as he extinguished the light on his wand. He gazed around for a long moment as his companions joined him.

"There must be a way to get out of here," he whispered.

"But where?" Hermione asked.

"You will not be leaving anytime soon," a cool voice said and the friends whirled around, wands a lit and held aloft as a Death Eater stepped out of the staircase, blocking off their own escape route. Harry recognized the voice almost immediately and he could tell Draco had as well; it was Lucius Malfoy.

Malfoy walked forward, his wand also held aloft. "I am sure the dark lord will be most pleased to see me bring him the Boy-Who-Lived," he said coolly.

Harry pointed his wand at Malfoy. "How's life treating you, Malfoy, without your house elf?" he asked smugly which caused a snort of laughter to escape his friends' lips even as Malfoy scowled angrily.

"You're sense of humor is implacable, Potter," he sneered. "Now then, I know that you know where the horocrux is located, you must know if you are here so where it is?"

"You honestly believe I will tell you?"

"I will have an answer," Malfoy growled before he pointed his wand at the friends. "_Crucio!_"

"_Protego!_" Harry and his friends shouted at the same time creating a large strong barrier over the friends that deflected the Cruciatous curse back at Malfoy who instantly leapt back to avoid it.

Malfoy growled angrily before he smirked suddenly. "Even if there are seven of you, you cannot defeat two Death Eaters," he hissed.

Harry knew without looking around that Snape had joined in the fight, most likely prompted by the dark lord that was several floors below them. He didn't turn around; he would not fight his guardian, his father figure, if he could help it. "Two against seven, a bit unfair I'll admit, for you," he said with a small smile.

Malfoy snarled in fury. "Tell me where the horocrux is," he hissed.

"Make me!"

Malfoy snarled in fury before raising his wand and the fight between the friends and the Death Eaters instantly began, Harry, Draco, Ron and Luna were fighting Malfoy while Ginny, Hermione and Neville were fighting Snape. Harry refused to even think of the possibility of fighting his guardian.

Malfoy sneered. "You will not walk away from this fight, Potter," he hissed.

The battle between them continued to get worse and worse and they were being pushed toward the room that Harry had found the horocrux in. He found himself standing beside Hermione in front of his friends with Malfoy and Snape both bearing down on him. He had to think of something quick to do and the only way they could go was back.

"Get into the room," he said to his friends who hesitated before nodding and slipped into the room. Hermione and Harry backed up toward the door while Malfoy sneered at them.

"There is no way for you to go," he hissed.

"No way, huh? We'll see about that," Harry replied before he and Hermione quickly slipped into the room and closed the door behind them before Hermione quickly cast the locking charm over the door.

"Block the door with everything you can find," Harry ordered everyone else.

They nodded and began ranging across the room. Draco grabbed a mirror before pushing it to place it in front of the door, Hermione, Luna and Neville teamed up to push the bed in front of the door, Ginny and Harry pushed the desk in front of the door and Ron used his wand to move the bookcase and medieval artifacts in front of the door.

"What are we going to do?" Neville asked fearfully.

"Down. Draco, summon that grappling hook we used on the wall," Harry said and Draco nodded before hurrying to the window and casting the summoning charm while Harry pointed his wand at the door when he heard it jiggle as the door was unlocked but the many items placed in front of it prevented the door from opening.

Draco grabbed the grappling hook that had floated through the window before attaching it to the window and tossing the rope down. "There are a few windows down there," he called. "We'll have to be careful to avoid the windows."

Harry nodded. "Neville, you and Draco will go first. Once down, head directly for the forest," he said.

They nodded before quickly hurrying to the window and Harry backed away as Draco grabbed the rope and began to scale down the wall, Neville followed him. Ginny went next with Hermione and Luna just behind her. Ron grabbed the rope before glancing at Harry as the door burst inward but still remained where it stood because of the stuff piled in front of it.

"Come on mate," he said.

"I'll follow you," Harry replied keeping his wand fixed on the door as Ron, sighing, scaled down the wall. Harry backed away to the window before climbing onto the sill and grabbing the rope in his hands just as the door exploded inward and Malfoy and Snape walked into it.

Harry saluted to them before sliding down the rope, casting a closing and locking charm on the window as he slide away from it. When he was a few feet from the ground, he leapt the rest of the way before dashing across the clearing toward the forest.

"Harry look out!" Hermione shouted suddenly.

"_Protego!_" Draco barked and the spell flashed over Harry's head just as he whirled around in time to see a curse flying directly at him from a Death Eater that had suddenly appeared in the ruined doorway on the first floor. The other Death Eaters who had accompanied the dark lord were starting to converge in the courtyard; Malfoy and Snape merely leapt from the fifth floor window and landed on their feet in front of the other Death Eaters.

Then Harry's scar began to burn and he clutched it as he backed away, knowing full well that the dark lord Voldemort was joining his loyal supporters, and Snape. Draco kept his wand pointed in front of him to keep the shield intact as he walked to his side and Harry's other friends joined them, their wands also pointed at the Death Eaters.

Voldemort sneered as he walked to stand in front of his loyal Death Eaters, Snape and Malfoy falling in just behind him. "Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived," he hissed.

"Tom Riddle," Harry replied causing Voldemort to snarl in anger.

"You are treading on dangerous ground, boy," he hissed. "Where is the horocrux?"

"The what?"

Voldemort snarled in fury. "You have it with you, don't you?" he hissed. "You must for we did not find it anywhere in the manor."

Of that, Harry had no doubt. "Perhaps you were mistaken in your information, Tom," he said.

He was pretty sure that Snape was rolling his eyes at his audacity and he knew that Snape was also thinking of how long to ground Harry for this little journey to Ireland.

Voldemort sneered in anger before he pointed his wand at the shield. "_Crucio!_" he barked and the red curse flew at the shield, striking it so hard that Draco faltered and the shield collapsed. Draco, Hermione and Luna immediately teamed up to form another shield around the friends to protect them from the effects of the red curse.

"Your pathetic shield will not last long," he hissed.

Harry knew that was true. He could tell that Hermione, Luna and Draco were having a hard time keeping the shield up and when the other Death Eaters, at Voldemort's order, started adding their magic to the destruction of the shield, the shield was destroyed.

Harry knew that he would have to fight his way out of this mess since the forest would only be able to provide them cover and they wouldn't be able to get away from the island without anything to fly on. The only choice they had was to try to send out a Patronus message to anyone that may be able to help them, perhaps an Order member.

Voldemort smirked. "Give me the horocrux, boy," he hissed, "and I shall let your companions live."

Harry sincerely doubted that. "I do not have it," he lied.

"Yes you do." Voldemort glowered at his Death Eaters. "Get his companions until he gives me the horocrux!"

The Death Eaters nodded before they apparated away and Harry whirled around as his friends formed up around him with their wands pointed outward as the Death Eaters surrounded them on all sides. Draco ended up being face to face with his father while Hermione was in front of Snape.

Malfoy sneered. "So you're siding with the half-blood, mudblood and blood traitors of Gryffindor," he hissed to his son.

"At least I am not a servant to the dark lord's every whim," Draco retorted.

"You are a traitor to our entire family. A pure blood siding with mudblood, half-blood and traitorous Gryffindors, something I would never expect to see from my own son," Malfoy growled pointing his wand at Draco who pointed his wand back at his father.

Harry admired Draco's courage to stand up to his father, whom Snape had told him was one of the worst Death Eaters in Voldemort's service. He glanced at the Death Eaters before he glanced at his friends. "We won't be able to get out of here without fighting," he whispered.

"Yes, we can see that," Ron muttered back.

"I think I know what we can do," Luna said dreamily. "At the same time, cast the same spell."

Harry nodded, he knew of what the spell Luna was thinking of and he could tell by the look in his friends' eyes that they knew as well. "On three," he whispered, "one...two...three!"

"_Repellio!_" the seven friends shouted at the same time and the spell flew out of their wands and slammed into the Death Eaters, taking them off guard and sending them flying several meters backwards.

"Run! Into the forest!" Harry shouted.

Neville, surprisingly, ran into the forest after Ginny, at Ron's insistence, and Hermione while Luna, Draco and Harry brought up the rear of the group, disappearing into the thick mass of trees.

"After them!" Voldemort screeched angrily and Harry jumped over an upturned root as the Death Eaters instantly swarmed after the friends.

"_Lumos enlargo!_" Hermione shouted and tossed the spell over her shoulder, sending a blinding ball of light directly into the eyes of one of the Death Eaters, blinding him momentarily.

"_Reducto!_" Ginny shouted and the spell slammed into a tree, immediately destroying it but sending thick pieces of wood falling onto at least two Death Eaters as they tried to catch up with the friends.

"_Incendio!_" Draco called out and the fire flew out of his wand before slamming into a fallen tree, immediately setting it ablaze. Luna cast the _aguamenti_ spell onto the nearby trees to prevent the entire forest from flaring up but also keeping the flames in front of the Death Eaters, causing them to have to resort to the water spell to put out the flames, which gave the friends more time to get away.

"Wait, what about the wall?" Hermione gasped.

Harry grumbled under his breath, he had forgotten about the wall and even now he could see it rising up in front of them. "We should have grabbed that bloody grappling hook," he said curtly.

"So we're basically stuck when we reach the wall," Ron said.

"When we reach the wall, we'll send out a Patronus," Harry said. "That may be our only hope."

They reached the wall within moments and Harry gazed around before narrowing his eyes as he tried to find the Death Eaters. He pointed his wand at the ground before calling out, "_expecto p__atronum_!" and the image of a stag appeared.

"Go get help," he ordered the stag, knowing full well that patronuses also carried the ability to carry messages and get help when it was need. The stag nodded and disappeared while Harry and his friends backed up toward the wall, knowing full well that the wall would corner them when the Death Eaters arrived.

A few moments later, four Death Eaters appeared from the forest and Harry had a feeling that the others were being detained within the forest. He also had a feeling that the dark lord did not wish to participate in this battle until he was sure he had the horocrux within his hands.

Malfoy was one of the Death Eaters that had exited the forest first and Harry had a feeling that Snape was the other one.

He swallowed when he realized that the battle he had been trying to avoid ever since the Death Eaters arrived at Seaside Manor was about to happen, no matter what he did to stop it.

* * *

><p>Severus wished that he didn't have to be here but he knew that he, Lucius, Gregory and Bellatrix were the only ones that managed to evade everything Harry and his friends had tossed at them. Severus had to fight to keep a smile from appearing on his facial features, his ward had taught his friends very well.<p>

Lucius snarled at them, he was even angrier than Gregory and Bellatrix due to the betrayal of his own son. Severus was glad that Draco had the courage to stand up to his father and he wished that he could at least figure out a way to protect the boy but if he did then he would reveal his true allegiances. That could not happen no matter what.

And Harry knew that just as well as Severus did.

Severus could tell by the conflicted look in Harry's emerald eyes that Harry had been dreading this confrontation ever since the dark lord first arrived at Seaside Manor. That was why he tried his hardest to avoid Severus just as Severus tired his hardest to avoid his ward. But now he had no choice but to fight his ward.

"Give me the horocrux, boy," Lucius demanded.

"No," Harry said firmly.

Severus admired Harry's defiance; he certainly was his mother's son. He and the others began to lift their wands before Severus watched as Harry and his friends also lift their wands. Unbeknownst to the other Death Eaters, Severus had had time to send his own Patronus in search of someone to help his ward and his friends.

The battle began again and curses, hexes, and spells flew back and forth between the friends and the Death Eaters. Severus tried his hardest to avoid the inevitable and he could see that Harry was doing the same thing but he knew it would look suspicious if he did not try to attack the Boy-Who-Lived at least once.

Lucius was dealing with Neville and Ginny while Bellatrix had her hands full with Hermione and Ron, Gregory was fighting Luna and Draco and Harry was left try and defend his friends. He knew full well that Lucius would become suspicious if Severus did not attack the only one not currently being attacked and he hated the thought of fighting the boy he had come to care for.

Harry glanced at him clearly waiting for him but Severus fought the urge to hesitate as he pointed his wand at his ward and cast his first spell. Training with him had definitely turned Harry into an almost fluid duelist and the two of them ended up dancing around each other, deflecting blows back and forth between each other, knowing each other too well to land a blow against each other.

Two spells interacted with each other, clashing and sending sparks of magic flying in all directions as Severus and Harry tried their best to make the duel believable. The duelists finally grew tired and had to pull back their magic before they circled each other, falling into the routine they had adopted when they trained; however, this time the stakes were much higher.

The other Death Eaters had their hands full with the other six friends and Severus had to admit that Harry's friends were very good, several weeks of training with the DA club certainly helped them.

He cast a bone crushing curse at his ward but Harry deflected it with a shield charm and cast the fire charm at him, which Severus instantly doused with water. They were now close enough together to actually talk while dueling without being overheard by anyone. "Your friends are very good. You've taught them well," Severus murmured quietly to his ward as their magic clashed again.

"I learned from the best," Harry replied just as quietly and Severus's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile.

"We have to make this a bit more believable," he murmured. "Lucius knows I'm a better duelist than you and I should be able to take you on but we're making it seem as though you can easily give me competition."

Harry nodded slowly before withdrawing his wand and pulling up a shield charm as Severus cast the _sectumsempra_ curse at him, it was deflected and crashed into a tree near Ron, instantly alerting him. Perfect. That meant that Ron will be able to help Harry when Severus landed at least one blow against him.

The two of them started dueling again while Ron jogged quickly over to join them, struggling to avoid Bellatrix and Gregory as he did. Severus cast several spells that Harry did not block, which was more to keep up appearances than anything and Harry was sent flying backwards. The spells that had been cast were not deadly but they did hurt and that would convince Lucius that he was not holding back.

Ron cast a spell at Severus that he easily deflected and the three of them immediately got locked in a three way battle. Severus found himself hoping that his patronus would find someone as quickly as possible.

Lucius had managed to disappear into the woods to avoid Neville and Ginny before reappearing at Severus's side and glowered angrily at the two young wizards in front of him. He and Severus fell into a temporary alliance as they fought Ron and Harry. Two spells managed to send Ron flying backwards but a spell also slammed into Lucius and Severus, sending them skidding backwards.

Lucius lowered his wand. "Just give us the horocrux, boy," he said firmly drifting forward while Severus slipped around the group and grabbed Ron, pulling him backwards when he spotted his ghostly patronus at the edge of the woods. He had ordered his patronus to return to him when the patronus reached someone who could help them.

He pressed his wand to Ron's throat while Bellatrix and Gregory managed to pin the other companions to the wall behind them. Ron glowered at him and Severus resisted the urge to sigh as he pressed his wand deeper into Ron's throat and murmured, "Be still! Help is coming."

Lucius, thankfully, did not hear those words even while Ron stopped struggling as Lucius approached Harry. "Give us the horocrux," he said firmly holding out a hand.

"No," Harry said firmly.

Lucius glowered angrily before pointing his wand at Harry's throat. "Do not make us kill your precious friends," he hissed. "Give us the horocrux."

Harry swallowed; his loyalty to his friends was so profound that Severus was a bit surprised he hadn't been sorted into Hufflepuff. He glanced briefly at Ron although Severus knew he was looking directly at him, Severus moved the merest of centimeters to shift his hold on Ron but his head had slightly nodded when he did so, telling Harry that help was on the way.

Harry took a deep breath before pulling out the ring and holding it out to Lucius. Lucius smirked before stretching out a hand and taking the ring. He gazed at it for a moment before glaring at Harry and pointed the wand deeper into Harry's throat, his hand now close to Harry's shoulder.

"You made a wise decision, Potter," he sneered his face very close to Harry's.

And at that moment, a broom landed just behind the tree that was at Lucius's back and Severus watched as Black walked out from behind the tree and over to join Lucius before tapping him on the shoulder. "Hey you!"

Lucius glanced at him.

Black glared at him. "Get your hands off my godson," he hissed before punching Lucius so hard that Lucius was sent flying to the ground. Severus resisted the urge to start laughing hysterically.

The ring went flying from Lucius's hand and Severus let go of Ron before catching the ring just before it hit the ground. He straightened up before gazing up as another broom arrived and he smiled inwardly.

Help had finally arrived.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: this was a long chapter but I had to keep the part when Sirius punches Lucius since that was hilarious**

**Darth: it was funny**

**Blaze: yup and I will try to make the next chapter a long chapter as well**

**Darth: good luck with that**

**Blaze: I plan on making i****t eight to ten pages long**

**Darth: good luck with that**

**Blaze: thank you, please review and I will post chapter 25 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter Twenty Five**

Ron couldn't help but stare in amazement as Malfoy struggled to get to his feet, clutching his jaw while glaring at Sirius who smirked as he walked to Harry's side. Ron glanced at Snape who now had the horcrux in his hand but Snape seemed bored and was standing so close to the wall that Ron felt he wanted to lean against it.

Ron turned his gaze to Malfoy as he glared at Sirius and he pointed his wand at Harry and Sirius. "_Incendio!_" He barked out.

"_Aguamenti!_" Sirius and Harry shouted at the same time and the water instantly doused the flames.

Snape straightened up at that but Ron noticed that his wand was in the hand that had caught the ring. He had a feeling he knew what Snape was about to do and he resisted the urge to smile at the simple solution to getting the horcrux back into the hands of the Order of the Phoenix.

"_Sectumsempra!_" Snape barked out casting the spell, and accidentally on purpose dropping the ring onto the grass. The spell flew across the air and Sirius and Harry quickly pulled up a shield that deflected the blow. Snape moved quickly to Malfoy's side, leaving the way clear for Ron to grab the ring.

While Malfoy was distracted, Ron glanced at his other friends and gestured at the Death Eaters who were keeping them pinned to the wall. They understood and quickly lashed out with spells against the two Death Eaters in front of them, successfully distracting them enough for Ron to dash to the spot where the ring had been dropped and picking it up before stuffing it into his pockets.

Remus jogged to his side, his wand held at a ready but his back was to Snape, clearly sensing that Sirius and Harry could take care of themselves. Ron and Remus leapt side by side to join in the battle against Lestrange and Goyle Sr.

The battle went on.

A combined spell by Harry and Sirius sent Malfoy flying backwards into Gregory and Snape was left to deal with Sirius and Harry. When Malfoy wasn't looking, Ron noticed that the Potions Professor was back to looking bored.

Ron jogged to join Draco who was struggling to fend off Bellatrix. Ginny had been repelled into the wall and was clutching her head. Luna and Neville were sagging against the wall, exhausted while Hermione stood in front of them, a shield charm covering the three of them. Bellatrix growled angrily before she cast a spell but Draco and Ron quickly deflected it back at the Death Eater.

Malfoy had seen Snape catch the horcrux, Ron knew that much, and so he focused his attention on given the others a chance to get away. Snape dodged past a spell tossed at him from Sirius and Harry before quickly apparating to Malfoy's side.

"They have the horcrux!" Harry shouted. He had seen Ron pick up the horcrux but that didn't mean the Death Eaters had to know that.

Luckily, he, Ron, Sirius and Remus were the only ones that knew Snape had dropped the ring.

"_Incendio!_" the nine companions shouted at the same time and Malfoy snarled before quickly casting the water spell to douse the flames that flew at them.

"_Repellio,_" Draco shouted ducking beneath the fire to cast the spell that sent Malfoy and LeStrange flying backwards.

Malfoy snarled at his son before a bone crushing curse was sent flying at Draco, slamming into his arm and sending him flying. A cry of pain escaped Draco's lips as he clutched his shattered arm and Luna quickly crawled to his side to guide him into the shield that was protecting them.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Hermione shouted but the spell was easily deflected.

At that moment, however, Ron smiled before watching as more beings began to apparate into the area. He watched as Dumbledore appeared followed by Tonks, Moody and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Snarling in fury, Malfoy pointed his wand at Dumbledore. "We've won, old man," he hissed before he apparated away and LeStrange and Goyle quickly followed him. Snape nodded his head once toward Ron and also disappeared after his fellow Death Eaters.

Dumbledore immediately walked over to Ron while Tonks jogged over to help Luna get Draco to his feet. "The horcrux?" he asked quietly.

Ron reached into his pocket before handing the ring to Dumbledore who took it in his hands and examined it for a long moment. He nodded once as if confirming that it was indeed the horcrux before he tucked it into his robes. "Come on, let's get you back to headquarters," he said quietly.

Harry was walking alongside Sirius, grinning ear to ear as he gazed at his godfather. "I can't believe you _punched_ Lucius Malfoy!" He exclaimed.

"You _punched _Malfoy!" Moody exclaimed.

Sirius shrugged. "He deserved it."

"But why didn't you curse or hex him?"

"I didn't think of that until afterwards," Sirius admitted.

Moody sighed before rolling his eyes skyward.

"Come along, come along before the Irish Ministry Officials show up," Dumbledore said. He placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. "We'll sidelong apparate," he added.

Sirius summoned his broom to his hand before placing a hand on Harry's shoulder while Remus walked over to join Hermione and the Order members gradually picked one of the seven companions before they apparated directly into Grimmauld's Place.

* * *

><p>"Now where is the horcrux?" Voldemort demanded glaring at Severus.<p>

"I must have dropped it," Severus replied smoothly. "In the thick of the fighting, I had not realized that the hand with which I cast the spell was carrying the horcrux and it must have fallen out. It would not have happened, I am sure, had we had a better advantage."

"Yes," Voldemort hissed glaring at Lucius. "Why did you not get more Death Eaters there?"

Lucius cast Severus a 'thanks a lot' glare before he quickly rambled off a series of excuses, most of which were dealing with the fact that Harry and his friends could have gotten away. Voldemort was so angry that he used the Cruciatus curse on every one of his followers, including those that had not been a part of the final attack at the wall surrounding the manor.

"We will continue searching for the other three," he said when he lifted the curse. "Severus, go back to Dumbledore and continue trying to gather information on the horcruxes' location."

"Yes my lord."

"Then do that." With that, the dark lord apparated away clearly still angry and the other Death Eaters, with glares at Severus and Lucius, quickly followed him.

Lucius glowered at Severus. "Severus..." he began.

"I must get going. I would not want to anger the dark lord any more than he already is," Severus said smoothly before he apparated away to Prince Manor. He quickly dispensed with the robes and mask before apparating into Grimmauld's Place; it was about time he had a stern talking to with his wayward ward.

He walked into the conference room and noticed that everyone was there. Dumbledore was examining the ring, Harry was getting scolded by Sirius, Ginny and Ron were getting scolded by Molly Weasley, Draco was getting his arm seen to, Neville was getting scolded by his gran and Hermione and Luna were added into the scolding issued by the Weasley mother.

Dumbledore glanced at him. "The dark lord isn't too happy, is he?" he asked.

Severus sneered. "That is an understatement," he replied sitting down and rubbing his head a few times. "I take it Mr. Weasley managed to get my hint in time."

"You took a great risk in just dropping it, Severus," Dumbledore said.

Severus shrugged. "I managed to move the blame from me to Lucius," he said. He sneered before adding, "He deserved the blame after that," he pointed to Draco's arm.

"I suppose so but still, it could have been a lot worse."

"Yes but the Order was able to get the horcrux away from the dark lord and now we can destroy it," Severus said.

Harry smiled. "I knew something good would come from this," he said.

Severus glowered at his ward. "You may have retrieved one horcrux, Harry," he said curtly. "But there are still three more and I doubt you will find yourself on another reckless adventure."

Harry winced. "Sirius already scolded me," he said.

"Yes but I am your legal guardian and I am sourly tempted to ground you until your graduate Hogwarts." Severus smirked when Harry's eyes went wide with shock at that.

"You can't," he protested.

"Yes, actually, I can."

Sirius snorted. "For once, I actually agree that this might be the best punishment," he said.

"Why is everyone against me?" Harry protested.

"Because what you did was utterly reckless and you could have gotten yourself killed," Severus snapped. "When you discovered the location of the horcrux, you should have gone to a teacher immediately, more specifically a member of the Order such as Black or myself. Why didn't you?"

"Because he doesn't trust adults," Hermione said softly while Harry tossed her a 'thanks a lot' glare.

Severus narrowed his eyes before he realized exactly what Hermione meant. "Your relatives," he guessed before he sighed when he remembered the Dursleys' deplorable treatment of Harry. "Harry, you know that you can trust me. Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" He asked.

Harry swallowed before shaking his head.

"Why did you not come to me then?"

Harry hesitated. "I knew it wouldn't have done any good," he said softly.

"Harry, if you had told me then I could have told Dumbledore _before_ I had to report to the dark lord."

"But you might not have believed me. No adult has ever believed me before," Harry said quietly.

Severus let out a long sigh, knowing full well that he would have to have a long talk with his ward. He stood up, a bit unsteadily since he hadn't had a chance to take the pain relieving potion, and glanced at Harry. "Come, Harry," he said.

Harry scrambled to his feet before hurrying after his guardian as Severus led the way out of the conference room. They walked into the dining room before Severus gestured for his ward to sit before he took a seat across from him. "I know that your relatives treated you horribly, Harry," he said quietly getting straight to the point. "And their deplorable treatment is what turned you against trusting adults or thinking they'll believe you when you tell them something important."

"But you could have trusted me with the truth. I would have gone straight to Dumbledore and you know I would have. What you did today was reckless; not only did you endanger your life but you also endangered the lives of your friends."

"They insisted on coming," Harry protested. "I knew it would be dangerous so I told them that I'd go alone but they insisted on coming, even Draco insisted. They threatened to follow me if they had to but they didn't want me to go into this alone."

"You have true friends, Harry, even if you may have gotten them killed today."

Harry winced. "I didn't think the dark lord would find out about the location of the ring," he whispered. "I mean the dream that showed me the location of the ring did not come from him. In fact...it sort of came from my mother. That's why I went after the horcrux, Severus, because my mother appeared in my vision as if trying to tell me to go after the horcrux."

"Lily may have been a determined young woman but she was not reckless like your father, Harry. Whether or not she had intended for you to go on this quest, it is still obvious that you were reckless enough to agree to it."

"With Umbridge in charge, I knew if I didn't go after it then it was more likely that the dark lord would get it. I knew that if I can destroy the five remaining horcruxes then Voldemort may be weak enough for Dumbledore to take out. That's all I wanted, I wanted to end this war before it even started. Is that so wrong? Is it so wrong for me to want to prevent more deaths?"

Severus let out a long sigh as he examined his ward; Harry looked on the verge of tears. He was about to reply when Harry whispered.

"I do not want someone else to die because of me."

Severus let out a long sigh knowing full well that his ward still bore the guilt of Cedric's death as well as the death of his parents. "Those deaths were not your fault, Harry," he said quietly.

Harry swallowed. "But it is my fault," he whispered. "The dark lord has been after me since I was a baby. Anyone he kills to get to me is my fault, I caused them to die."

"Did you hold the wand that cast the spell? Did you utter the words that killed them?"

"No."

"Then it is not your fault. They died because the dark lord is a monster and will kill anyone who gets in his way of dominating all of Britain," Severus said.

Harry shook his head. "I am sorry, Severus," he whispered. "I only wanted to help prevent more deaths. I'm sorry." There were tears in Harry's eyes, falling from behind the round glasses that had been cracked during the battle but had repaired itself magically. "I'm sorry, Severus."

For a long moment, Severus just gazed at his ward. "Harry, what you did was very brave even if it was reckless. I may not like it but you did accomplish something that some would never be able to do; you outsmarted the dark lord," he said softly.

"I disappointed you though."

"Yes you did but that is only because I was afraid for you. I was afraid that you might have been injured or I might have been forced to injure you more than I did. Worse than that, I feared you might be killed," Severus said quietly.

Harry's tear-filled eyes went wide with shock. "Y...You actually feared for me?" he echoed.

"Of course, brat. I do not speak just to listen to my own voice like your mangy mutt of a godfather."

"I heard that," Black shouted.

"Stop eavesdropping, this is a private conversation," Severus called back.

Black snorted and Severus glowered before casting a Silencing spell over him and his ward, knowing full well that Black wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. "Harry, have you thought about what would happen to everyone who cares about you if you died? Granger, the Weasleys, Lovegood, Malfoy, Longbottom, me."

Harry lowered his head looking more ashamed than ever. "I just wanted to stop people from dying," he whispered.

"I know, Harry, I know."

Tears started to fall rapidly from Harry's eyes and before Severus knew it, he found his arms suddenly full of sobbing fifteen-year-old boy. He held Harry, comforting him as best as he could while at the same time relaxing for the first time in several long days. Harry was alive and, no matter what happened before then, safe and that was all that mattered at that moment.

* * *

><p>Harry sobbed into his guardian's chest for a long moment, comforted by the strong arms that were wrapped around his slender body but still unable to hold back the tears. The Dursleys always got mad at him when he cried and always locked him in a cupboard but Snape didn't do that, Snape did exactly what a parent was supposed to do when their child cried, he comforted him.<p>

Harry swallowed before pulling away from his guardian. "Sorry," he whispered.

Snape didn't reply, he just kept his arms around Harry and watched him for a long moment. "You need to cry, Harry, it's all right to cry sometimes," he said quietly.

Harry rested his head on his guardian's chest and for a long moment stayed in the comfort of his guardian's arms. "Are we going to get into trouble for this?" he asked.

"Knowing Dumbledore, probably not. You did do him a good service by finding one of the five, now four, remaining horcruxes after all, we just need to find the other four."

"Can I help?"

Snape's lips quirked. "Really Harry? You just barely survived this latest adventure of yours and now you want to go on another one. How typically Gryffindor of you," he said not unkindly.

Harry flushed. "I just want to help," he whispered.

"I know you do, Harry, but this is something for adults to take care of."

Harry gazed at his guardian for a long moment. "Please Severus," he whispered. "Please. I just wanna help."

Snape let out a long sigh. "I am sorry but no," he said. "This war is not for you to focus on, you need to focus on school and let the adults worry about the oncoming war."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Severus," Harry protested. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt or die because of me. The dark lord is after me, he has always been after me, and he won't stop until he gets me. Why should I stay studying to graduate Hogwarts when I know that the dark lord will be killing people constantly to get to me? Why?"

Snape, Harry could tell, did not have an answer.

"Harry, you don't know what you're getting yourself into," he said quietly after a moment. "This war should not concern you and yet it does."

"It does?" Harry asked.

Snape nodded. "Dumbledore wanted me to tell you this when summer vacation came around but I suppose today's as good a day as any. The prophecy that I delivered to the dark lord speaks of the child of the family who thrice defied him but another part says this: "The one who may defeat the dark lord approaches. The dark lord shall see him as his equal but he shall know a power the dark lord knows not. Neither one can live while the other survives." That part I didn't learn until much later."

Harry's eyes were huge. "So I have to kill him or he has to kill me?" he whispered.

"I do not believe in prophecy, Harry, but yes that is the general meaning."

"Then this war does concern me. If I am to face the dark lord then I should have everything on my side, including the destruction of the four remaining horcruxes."

Snape gently hugged him. "Harry, the quest for the horcruxes is something that cannot be taking lightly, especially not with the fact that you and I will be forced to be enemies throughout the entire quest," he said quietly.

Harry knew this was true and yet a part of him wished with all of his heart that he could go on this quest with his guardian at his side. "I know," he said softly. "I wish we did not have to be enemies but I know that your cover is providing the Order with much needed information."

"Harry, since I am sure if I tell you to not go after the other horcruxes then it's likely you'll ignore my order, just do something for me."

"What?"

"Be careful."

Harry nodded. "I will, Severus," he replied softly.

* * *

><p>Three days passed since the battle on Ireland and Draco was glad to be back in the safety of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was still in hiding and Umbridge was at Azkaban so McGonagall and Snape were teaming up to lead the school while they waited for Dumbledore to come back. The Slytherins were still shocked that Draco was spending so much time with Gryffindors and the Ravenclaws were acting the same way when Luna started hanging out with the Gryffindor members of the DA club as well.<p>

Draco knew that it was a start to finally getting over the rivalries that always divided the four houses at Hogwarts but he also knew that it would be a long time coming before the rivalries could be permanently removed. His arm still in a sling, Draco walked over to join Harry at the Gryffindor table before sitting down beside him.

Harry glanced at him. "How's your arm, Draco?" he asked.

"Healing. Madame Pomfrey said that it should be fine in a couple more days," Draco replied.

Harry nodded. "That's good," he said.

"So what happened with the ring?" Ron asked.

"Dumbledore destroyed it," Harry replied quietly. "I don't know all the details but Snape told me that Dumbledore destroyed the ring soon after we came back to Hogwarts."

"One down, four more to go," Luna said dreamily.

"Yeah, four more but where are they located?"

Hermione sighed. "Are you seriously thinking of going after them, Harry?" she asked.

Harry had cast a Silencing spell over them, Draco noticed that almost immediately because no one else was watching them. "Yes, I'm planning on going after the remaining four," he replied. "I don't know where they are but I want to find them."

"I'm with you, mate," Ron said.

"So am I," Hermione said.

"Me too," Ginny added.

"Me too," Neville said.

"You don't..." Harry began.

Draco snorted. "I, for one, am not letting you have all the fun," he said.

"I want to come along too," Luna said quietly.

"I don't want to put all of you into any more danger," Harry said quietly.

"Er...we sort of got into that danger ourselves, if you remember, Harry. We insisted on coming, remember?" Hermione said.

"True," Harry admitted. "But you don't have to come with me."

"We want to," Ginny said quietly.

Harry sighed before he smiled faintly. "I just realized something," he said quietly.

"What's that?" Luna asked.

"We have something Voldemort doesn't."

"Yeah?" Ron asked.

Harry smiled before gazing at his friends and briefly glancing at his guardian sitting at the staff table. "Something worth fighting for," he replied.

Draco smiled in agreement. "Yes we do," he agreed.

"That's something Voldemort will never comprehend. The meaning of friendship and the meaning of love," Hermione said.

Harry nodded and Draco could tell that he agreed with the statement more than he was letting on. "Yes," he agreed. He canceled the silencing charm before glancing up as the bell beginning the first class of the day rang.

Getting to his feet, Harry, Draco and their friends began to make their way to their first class, knowing full well that a quest lay before them, a quest that will began once school ended in about a month's time. Whether or not they would come back from this quest was undecided but Draco had a feeling that with his friends at his side he could make it through anything tossed at him.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: this was a short chapter**

**Darth: yup it was, I thought you were going to make it 8 pages**

**Blaze: I decided to end it there**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: on another note, for a later chapter sin****ce I know I am likely to get flamed for this but in this story, the Ministry's rule is that magic cannot be used by witches and wizards that are underage unless they need to defend themselves or they are **_**not**_** in the presence of muggles**

**Darth: so don't flame her if you see her using that in future chapters because that is the rule that she created**

**Blaze: don't like, don't read. This is set in an **_**ALTERNATE UNIVERSE**_** after all**

**Darth: will you stop yelling?**

**Blaze: I just wished to get the point across**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: so please review and I'll post chapter 26 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon and sorry about the long author's note**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Chapter Twenty Six**

Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts in the final three weeks of the school year while the Ministry was finally forced to admit that the dark lord had returned. It occurred soon after the battle on Ireland and Ron was wondering if somehow word had gotten out about what happened on Ireland. He was walking beside his friends as they made their way toward the Great Hall for breakfast before they headed to their classes. The dark lord's return would be made public knowledge before long and Ron had a feeling that Dumbledore was going to reveal exactly how the Ministry was finally convinced of the dark lord's return.

Draco's arm was still healing, Ron noticed that but it was no longer in a sling. He found himself angry with Lucius Malfoy, wondering why that idiot would do such a thing to his own son. He had a feeling he knew why but he didn't bother worrying about it as he walked side by side with his friends.

Dumbledore didn't know of what the leaders of the DA club were going to do, the only one who truly knew was Snape. Snape hadn't promised that he wouldn't tell the Headmaster but Ron had a feeling that Snape probably would in the end. Whether or not Dumbledore let the DA club leaders go on the quest didn't matter because Ron had a feeling that his friend Harry would still go on the quest anyway.

He sat down beside Draco and Harry at Gryffindor's table while they waited for Dumbledore to begin speaking. Snape and McGonagall were standing at Dumbledore's side while the other professors sat in their respected seats. While they sat, they examined the students as the students waited for the headmaster to being speaking.

"What happened at the end of last year was proof of the dark lord's return," Dumbledore began finally after several long moments of silence. "However, no one believed it until Ministry Officials in Northeastern Ireland revealed to our Ministry that the dark lord had indeed return. Evidence linking the dark lord's return to the string of murders and attacks across Britain and Ireland have finally convinced the Ministry of Magic to the truth; the dark lord Voldemort has returned."

"Because of this, Hogwarts may not be safe anymore for anyone. School will resume in September of next year but next year will be focused primarily on teaching all of you the skills you will need to defend yourselves against the dark lord. Information has come to me that has determined that the war against the dark lord is going to be worse than I had originally thought."

"Next year, I may not be here as your Headmaster for reasons I will not disclose and I am planning on leaving right away for the last three weeks of school with Professor McGonagall so Professor Snape will act as acting Headmaster until school ends. Do not worry about the dark lord right now for you need to focus primarily on your finals for the time being. Be careful this summer however."

The students gazed at each other and Ron could almost hear the thought that was on their mind. _Dumbledore just got back and now he's leaving again?_

Ron had a feeling Dumbledore and the rest of the Order would be out searching for the four remaining horcruxes and the only reason Snape was left in charge is because of the fact that Snape is supposed to be spying on the dark lord. Spying on the dark lord would prevent him from even thinking about searching for the horcruxes for the Order of the Phoenix. Therefore, being interim Headmaster would provide him with the perfect cover should the horcruxes be found by the Order.

If the horcruxes are not found by the Order in the next three weeks then Ron smiled faintly. _Then my friends and I will find them,_ he thought.

He glanced at Harry. "Do you suppose the Order will find the horcruxes?" he asked quietly as Harry cast a Silencing charm quickly.

"I don't think so," Harry said. "Whoever took the horcruxes from where the dark lord hid them most likely hid them to where no one would find them."

"So how do you suppose we'll find them of the Order doesn't?"

"That I'm still working on."

Luna smiled. "If we believe then we will find them," she said.

"Besides, we're all in this together, right?" Ginny asked.

Harry smiled before stretching out a hand and placing it on the table. "We're all in this together," he agreed.

"Together," the others agreed at the same time.

* * *

><p>Severus walked down the hallways of Hogwarts, watching as students ran from one class to another as the finals in the final week of school drew to a close. There was still no word on the whereabouts of Dumbledore or the Order and Severus found himself wondering if they had found any horcruxes. He hoped that they would because then he wouldn't have to worry about Harry and his friends going on the quest themselves.<p>

He placed a hand on the pendant around his neck; it had been warm throughout the entire attack on Seaside Manor but Severus had been unable to do anything to help Harry when he needed it. He glowered at anyone who stopped to stare instead of going to their classes and they quickly ran.

When the hallway was empty, Severus continued to walk down the hallways. With his last class's finals over with, Severus had time to himself to make sure students got to their classes. He was only interim Headmaster for a little while until Dumbledore returned and he didn't know when that was going to happen.

"Professor Snape?"

Severus glanced up as Draco walked over to join him almost hesitantly. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" Severus asked impassively.

"Can I talk to you privately?"

Severus nodded before leading the way to his office and slipping into it with his godson just behind him. When they were in the office, Severus cast a charm over them that would prevent eavesdroppers before turning to look at his godson. "What's this about, Draco?" he asked.

"It's about my father," Draco said softly. "My father made it clear that I was a traitor to his entire family and I'm a bit concerned about what would happen if I went back there. I brought this up with Harry and he suggested that I come speak with you."

"Legally, I cannot do anything unless I have permission from one of your parents, Draco," Severus reminded him. Technically speaking, since he was Draco's godfather, if Lucius or Narcissa didn't want Draco anymore then he was next in line to assume custody. "Besides, I'm sure your mother wouldn't want to give you up."

"I know. I don't want to leave my mother either but…Malfoy Manor is where the dark lord meets constantly with his Death Eaters and so my father is constantly there. I really don't want to be around him but I don't want to leave my mother. I don't know what to do."

"If it'll help, I will speak with your mother about this, Draco," Severus replied.

Draco hesitated for a moment longer. "You do know that Harry is planning on going after the horcruxes if Dumbledore doesn't find them, right?" he asked.

Severus nodded. "I tried talking him out of it but he's as stubborn as his mother was," he said. "I only asked him to be careful since I knew if I told him not to go then he'd just ignore my order."

Draco smiled. "He won't be in it alone, Uncle Sev," he said. "Hermione and Ron are going with him, I am too and so are Neville, Ginny and Luna."

Severus glowered. "Sometimes I wonder if Harry's recklessness is rubbing off on his friends," he muttered.

Draco smirked. "We're all in this together, that's what we agreed upon," he said. "I just thought you should know."

Severus nodded. "I take it you six insisted on going with him?"

Draco flushed slightly before nodding. "He's going to need all the help he can get," he said, "especially with you being his enemy throughout this entire quest. You do know that he sees you like a father figure."

Severus nodded slowly knowing full well that Harry saw him that way just as he saw Harry as the son he never had. "I know," he replied. He also knew Draco knew everything about the Order and Severus's position in it as Harry admitted that Hermione had told him at Harry's insistence while they were heading toward Ireland. "The dark lord has to remain ignorant of my true allegiances if I am to keep my cover and continue to pass on valuable information to the Order. I will try to help you seven as best as I possibly can if I can't talk you out of this reckless and dangerous quest you've decided on."

Draco smiled. "I doubt you'll be able to, Uncle Sev," he said. "I'd best get going."

Severus nodded before watching as Draco turned around before walking out of the office. He watched him go before he let out a long sigh and he found himself wondering if it was possible to ground Harry to prevent him from going on this quest.

_Not likely,_ Severus mused silently.

Harry's reasons for going after the horcruxes were profound. He wanted to stop the war that was beginning; he wanted to prevent more deaths by destroying what kept the dark lord immortal. Severus wanted that more than anything else but he felt upset at being forced to be his ward's enemy when he nothing more than to fight at the boy that he was beginning to see as his son's side.

* * *

><p>Harry walked beside his friends as they made their way to the Hogwarts train on the last day of school. Ron, Hermione and Draco were at his side while Luna, Neville and Ginny followed them toward the train. The leaders of the DA club, as Ginny was named one after the battle on Ireland, walked in silence as they entered the train before heading toward a private section of the train to sit in.<p>

"So how are we supposed to do this?" Draco asked curiously as Harry closed the section and cast a silencing charm over them. The Ministry's law allowed them to use magic outside of school when they were underage so long as it was to defend themselves or it wasn't in the presence of muggles.

Harry had received word from Snape earlier that Dumbledore had been unable to find the four remaining horcruxes so the seven leaders of the DA club were going to take up the quest themselves. Whether or not Dumbledore knew of Harry's plan, he wasn't entirely sure. He did know that his guardian was still trying to convince him to give up the quest but Harry had no intention of doing that. That prophecy had to do with him and so Harry was a part of this war even if Snape didn't like it.

"We'll figure out something to do," he said. "All I ask is that you keep an eye out for any clues as to the location of the four remaining horcruxes. You know where to contact me if you have any leads and I'll get word to all of you if I find out something as well."

"Where will we meet if we do find a clue?" Hermione asked.

"Somewhere no one will find us," Harry replied.

"Grimmauld's Place is out then," Ron said grimly.

"What of your old home?" Draco asked curiously. "No one would think you'd go back there, least of all the dark lord."

"Besides, isn't it abandoned since your aunt and uncle are in prison?" Luna asked quietly.

Harry nodded. "That might be the best place," he said.

"No one should know about this, should they?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head.

Neville swallowed. "I don't know how I'll be able to keep this from my gran," he admitted.

"We'll try everything we can. If anyone else knows then they'll try to stop us and that'll put them in danger," Harry said. "I would do this alone to keep you out of danger but since you're insistent on coming with me, I suppose I have no choice but to let you since you'll follow me if I don't."

Luna chuckled dreamily. "This is by far the most reckless and dangerous thing to do in this time," she said.

"Yes, I know it is. You can all still back out if you want."

"No way, I'm with you till the end, mate," Ron said firmly. "We're all in this together."

"We're all in this together," the others agreed firmly and Harry smiled.

"Thanks guys," he said.

The train came to a stop and Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron said their goodbyes to Neville, Luna, Draco before they made their way through the wall of platform 9 ¾. Harry knew that it would be too dangerous for Snape, himself, to meet him at King's Cross so he gazed around for his godfather in a hope that Sirius would pick him up instead.

Hermione was staying with Sirius still anyway since the dark lord may very well still be after her parents and so they were hiding out in Italy. Ron spotted his mum and he glanced at Harry. "I'll see you later, mate," he said. "Ask Snape if I can come by sometime."

"Will do," Harry replied before flushing in embarrassment when Ginny hugged him and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"See you later, Harry," she said before she jogged after her brother, leaving Harry to gaze after her still blushing furiously.

"Someone's gotta crush," a new voice mused and Harry turned around to find his godfather standing behind him.

"Sirius," he said before he quickly moved to hug his godfather.

"Nice to see you too, kiddo," Sirius said before he glanced at Hemione. "Ready to go, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded before narrowing her eyes. "How are we traveling?" she asked.

"Well, certainly not by a flying car, for one" Sirius said before he glanced at his godson and added, "Did you know that Hedwig threatened to peck out your eyes if you ever took her onto a flying car again? What did she mean by that?"

"Er, it's a long story," Harry admitted glowering at Hedwig who merely chirped in amusement in her cage.

"We've got a long way to go, Harry, so we have time."

* * *

><p>Severus glanced up as the floo leading to Prince Manor flared to life in his living room. Prince Manor was magically protected so no one with darkness in their hearts, such as the dark lord or Death Eaters, could make it past the wards. There was also a special password that allowed anyone to come in and out of the floo, one that Severus gave to Harry and he in turn gave it to his friends. It was odd that Harry had found some way to categorize the password to Prince Manor as under anything concerning the Order of the Phoenix so the Wizard's Oath prevented them from revealing what they knew.<p>

Harry stepped out of the floo before rubbing his eyes. "I always get floo powder in my eyes when I do that," he complained.

Severus smirked. "You're supposed to close your eyes, brat," he said lowering the Potions journal he had been reading.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at Hogwarts until everyone left."

"I left Professor Sprout in charge when the dark lord called me," Severus replied.

"What did he want?"

"Any information concerning three of the four remaining horcruxes, I do have a feeling, however, that he keeps the final horcrux close to him so that might be the toughest one to apprehend."

Harry nodded. "That's good to know," he said.

"Are you still going to do this?"

"Sirius doesn't mind it."

Severus sneered. "That mangy mutt doesn't care about anything recklessly done, he encourages it," he retorted. He placed his journal on the table in front of him before he stood up. "Come along, Harry, I may as well show you to your room while Niran begins making dinner."

"Niran?"

"My house elf."

"Ah." Harry followed Severus as he led the way up the stairs before he walked down the hallway and came to a stop outside of one of the doors.

"This will be your room," Severus said. "I hope it is satisfactory but I was a bit short on time."

Harry nodded before walking into the room and Severus watched as Harry's eyes filled with utter shock as he beheld the room. It was decorated in Gryffindor colors (Minerva's idea, not Severus's!), with some bookshelves filled with some books, a four-poster bed, and a wardrobe that was filled with clothes that Black had bought for Harry.

"This is great, Severus, thank you," Harry said eyes beaming with gratitude before he suddenly gave a startled Severus a very quick hug.

"Yes, well, dinner should be ready soon," Severus replied a bit flustered. He was never going to get used to Harry's tendency to hug. "You are welcome to join me in the living room or you may stay up here, it is up to you."

"I'll stay up here, I wanna send some letters to Ron and Hermione and Draco and all of my other friends," Harry replied.

Severus raised his eyebrows but nodded once and left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: yes, I purposely made this a short chapter but I hope that you like it**

**Darth: it was too short**

**Blaze: it's hard writing filler chapters with little to no action**

**Darth: I bet it is**

**Blaze: the next chapter may or may not have some action**

**Darth: will you...?**

**Blaze: probably, please review and I'll post chapter 27 as soon as I possibly can**


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm happy to hear that you living with Snape isn't as bad as everyone is making it out to be. He did take care of you when you needed someone the most while you were a dove, much better than your stupid relatives. Whatever happened to your relatives?_

_I do hope you have a great summer and keep in touch, especially concerning the horcruxes. There's no way I will let you go after them by yourself._

_By the way, did you start your summer homework? I've already finished one assignment and am working on another at the same time. Even though we did the Order a good service by finding one of the horcruxes, they still gave us homework but I don't mind._

_Write back as soon as you possible can._

_Hermione_

Harry smiled faintly as he set the letter from Hermione down on the table. He had already been living in Prince Manor for a full week since school ended and already he was receiving letters from all of his friends. Hermione wasn't the only one that insisted he keep in touch when concerning the horcruxes; Draco, Ron, Luna, Ginny and even Neville also insisted on that.

Snape was still trying his hardest to dissuade Harry from going on the quest but Harry didn't think it was likely he would stop. He wanted to help and he felt that this may be the best way he could help the Order of the Phoenix win the war that was starting against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, along with Snape.

Harry didn't really like the idea of being Snape's enemy throughout this entire war but he knew that Snape was providing the Order with well needed information. He hoped that Snape wouldn't be injured or killed if he was ever found out to be a spy.

A _pop_ sounded and Niran appeared in Harry's room. "Master Severus told Niran to tell you to meet him in the dining room," she said.

Harry nodded. "I'll be right down," he replied and Niran nodded before disappearing while Harry stood up and, tucking his wand away while placing Hermione's letter with the others he's received in the last week, walked out of the room. It was near noontime so Harry figured Snape would just be making sure he ate three meals a day. He still had to take the nutrient supplant but he figured that would only last for a little while longer.

As he entered the dining room, he spotted Snape already seated at the table, drinking a cup of tea while reading the Daily Prophet. "Nice of you to join us," he said with a slight sneer in his voice.

"What are you reading, Severus?" Harry asked curiously as he sat down across from his guardian while Niran placed plates of food in front of them.

"Umbridge's trial. That frilly pink toad got what she had coming," Snape said placing the Prophet on the table.

"Any news on the Dark Lord?"

"Not yet. The Dark Lord has been keeping everything on the down low," Snape replied. "He hasn't spoken anything yet, not even to me even though I'm one of his most trusted advisors."

Harry nodded slowly in reply. "Any word on the location of the horcruxes?"

Snape shook his head. "Nothing. Whoever took the horcruxes hid them so well that even Dumbledore cannot find them," he replied.

Harry nodded before he began to eat slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Severus, what do you think my dream meant?" he asked finally lifting his gaze to look at his guardian.

"Which dream?"

"The one I had of my mum?"

Snape was silent for a long moment, his face as impassive as ever. "I do not know," he replied. "Your mother wasn't someone who did so much reckless things as you are and I honestly don't see her as condoning such a quest as the one she apparently sent you on."

"What if she really does want me to do this, Severus?"

Snape's obsidian gaze was thoughtful briefly. "I don't see her doing that but I suppose even death does not stop her from helping her son," he said finally. "The dark lord doesn't suspect that you'll go after the rest of the horcruxes. He believes that Dumbledore will keep you and your friends on a tighter leash to prevent you from getting injured. That may work to your advantage even if I agree that Dumbledore _should_ keep you on a leash."

"This war concerns me," Harry protested. "The prophecy said so."

"I'm sure I've told you this before but I do not believe in prophecy, especially one spoken by Professor Trelawney."

"But what if it is true?"

"Harry," Snape said firmly. "Whether or not it is true, this will be a dangerous war. I do understand that by destroying the remaining four horcruxes, you'll make Voldemort weaker but that does not mean he'll be weak enough to be defeated right away."

"I know." Harry sighed. "It'll never be that easy, will it?"

Snape shook his head.

Harry sighed again before he finished eating and stood up. "I'm going to go take a walk, if that's all right with you?" he asked.

"Harry, I've told you before that you have no need to do that while you are living here. Go ahead but make sure you stay within the wards surrounding the place. I showed you the borders when you first came here," Snape said.

Harry nodded before he walked into the grassy clearing that made up Snape's backyard. The forest that the manor lay beside reminded Harry of Seaside Manor briefly although the landscape lacked the smell and sound of the lapping sea. He walked back and forth across the clearing, gazing around while looking up every now and then to find his familiar flying above him.

Hedwig chirped before spiraling downward and landing on Harry's outstretched arm. The young wizard smiled at his familiar. "I wish I could still speak with you," Harry said with a sigh.

Hedwig chirped in agreement while the two of them continued to walk around the clearing but staying clear of the wards that surrounded the Manor.

"I wonder how it is that no one's ever found Snape's place. Are these wards really that strong?"

Hedwig merely chirped as if to say she didn't know.

Harry glanced back at the manor before smiling faintly as he turned his gaze back to the forest. In spite of all that had happened, he was glad that he had a guardian that didn't treat him as horrible as his aunt and uncle had.

* * *

><p>"It's really beautiful here in Italy, Hermione," Hermione's father said over the phone the afternoon about a week after she had come to stay at Sirius's house while her parents were in Italy.. "If Mr. Black will let you then you can come by and visit if you want."<p>

"I'll ask him," Hermione replied and she hung up the phone as her father hung up as well before she walked into the living room of Grimmauld's Place.

Sirius glanced up at her. "Was that your dad?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "They want me to join them in Italy for a while but I don't really want to leave Britain, not with the dark lord on the rise," she said.

"If you want to then I can escort you to Italy."

"No, I really think I'd better stay in Britain for the time being."

"All right. Are you hungry at all?"

Hermione smiled faintly. "A little," she admitted. "But I'm going to grab a book from my room. There's this interesting one on the history of the River Thames that I want to look at."

"Ah, I really don't care for books but all right."

Hermione smiled before she jogged toward her room to pick up the book.

Later that day, while reading through the book she had checked out of the local library a few days earlier at dinner, Hermione came across something odd. A piece of paper had been tucked away into the book in between the pages that showed an aerial view of the large river and spoke of the many camping sites of the river, including the Thames Valley.

The note was crinkled as if it had been written years ago but it was written in a language that could easily be translated. _It looked as if the message was written in Latin_, Hermione thought as she opened the letter and examined the words written on it.

"Sirius?" she called.

"Yeah, Hermione?" Sirius asked looking up from his food to examine his house guest.

"Do you happen to have a Latin book I could borrow?"

"I don't think so in all honesty. I can ask Dumbledore or Snape though."

"All right," Hermione said.

Sirius stood up before walking away and came back a few minutes later with a book in his hand. "Snape had a copy although he was curious why you wanted it," he said as he handed the Latin book to Hermione.

Hermione took it before she stood up. "I'm done. I'll be in my room if you need me," she said before she walked away and entered her room. Once she was in her room, she opened the Latin book and the note and began to decipher the words.

* * *

><p>Severus glanced up as the floo flared to life while Harry was still roaming the backyard and Black poked his head out of the green flames. "What do you want, Black?" Severus asked curtly.<p>

"Hermione was wondering if I had a Latin book and since I don't, I was wondering if you or Dumbledore did but Dumbledore was busy so I decided to ask you," Black replied.

"Why the bloody hell would she want a Latin book?"

"She didn't say."

Severus snorted. "Typical," he muttered but he stood up before walking into his private library and searched through it. When he found the Latin book that his mother had kept in the house to keep her busy whenever they escaped Tobias Snape's abusive household, he walked back to the floo before handing the book to Black as he stepped through the floo.

"Just do make sure she takes care of it," he said.

Black nodded before he disappeared through the floo while Severus decided he'd go try and find Harry.

As he walked, he wondered why Granger wanted the Latin book in the first place; it would help to translate Latin words but that would do little to help Granger with any of her summer homework or anything else. _So why does she want it?_ He wondered silently as he walked into the backyard of the manor handed down to him by his mother.

Harry was walking along the edge of the boundary, keeping just within the wards with his familiar resting on his arm. He glanced at him before smiling brightly, which caused Severus's lips to quirk in the beginnings of a smile. "Decided to leave your house for once, Severus?" he asked.

"I do in fact leave my house sometimes, Harry," Severus retorted.

Harry chuckled as he walked over to join his guardian. "You're yard is big," he said. "It took me half an hour just to walk along the boundary but when you first showed it to me, it only took half that time."

"You probably stopped to admire everything that you saw," Severus said with a snort although not unkindly, Harry was beginning to grow on him and Severus wouldn't be lying when he said he was beginning to see the boy as the son he never had.

Not that he would ever reveal that out loud.

"What are we going to do now?"

"It is still a couple of hours before dinner so do you wish to duel for a bit?" Severus asked. "There are still plenty of spells you should learn if you are going on this reckless, dangerous and stupid quest of yours."

"You can't talk me out of it, Severus."

"It is utterly stupid of you to even think of going on this quest but you're too stubborn to see that. Come along, let's continue training."

Harry, who had been about to repeat his last statement, nodded once in reply before following Severus as he led the way to the center of the clearing.

* * *

><p><em>To Whom It May Concern;<em>

_My former allies are on my trail so I am leaving this were I hope someone who isn't an ally of the dark lord will find it. The Cup is located in the River Thames in the Thames Valley._

_R.A.B_

Hermione frowned the day after she found the note as she reread the message she had just translated using the Latin book that she had borrowed from Snape. She didn't know as to why the writer of the note would take such a risk by leaving it in the most obvious of places and she wondered how they had managed to sneak the letter into a book in Sirius Black's home.

But the words at the end of the letter came back into Hermione's mind. _The Cup? Could this R.A.B person be speaking about Helga's Cup, one of the horcruxes?_ She wondered silently.

Thinking back to her Charms class, Hermione instantly remembered a charm that would allow the caster to see if something, such as a letter, was legitimate. Pulling out her wand, Hermione waved it over the note while murmuring the spell beneath her breath. The spell cascaded over the paper and before long, it glowed to show the young witch that the note was legitimate.

_If it's legitimate then could the Cup really be located in the River Thames?_ She wondered silently. She decided that she would contact the other DA leaders and see what they have to say about it.

Writing a couple of notes to send to her friends, Hermione sent them out before preparing herself to go to the Dursley household, as was the agreed upon location to meet when a horcrux was discovered.

She only hoped that this R.A.B person wasn't lying about the location of the horcrux or if it really was the horcrux.

* * *

><p>Neville glanced up as an owl flew through his window and dropped off a note on his lap before hooting and flying away. He had been lying on his bed after finshiing eating breakfast with his gran and he wondered who would contact him this early in the morning.<p>

Opening the letter, Neville recognized Hermione's writing almost immediately. It read;

_I think I found another one. Meet at the decided location._

_Hermione_

_Another horcrux? Already?_ Neville thought surprised. He knew that he would have to see if his gran would let him go out for a while. He was a bit nervous and scared at the thought of going after another horcrux and, possibly, facing the dark lord _again_ but he mustered up his courage as he got to his feet and walked out of his room.

Tucking the note into the pocket of his pants, Neville walked over to join his gran who was sitting in the living room of their house.

Augusta glanced at her grandson for a moment. "I thought you were getting started on your summer homework," she said.

"I was but, uh, Hermione invited me over to tea at, um, Grimmauld's Place and was wondering if I'd like to go," Neville replied.

Augusta nodded slowly. "Just be back before dinner," she ordered.

"I will," Neville said. _I hope,_ he added silently as he turned around and made his way to the floo to floo travel to Grimmauld's Place.

* * *

><p>Ginny Weasley was the one that received the note from Hermione and she immediately ran up the stairs of her house to find her elder brother. "Ron!" She called as she burst into his room.<p>

Ron, startled, glanced up from where he was playing Wizard's Chess with Fred. "What is it, Ginny?" he asked.

"I received this note from Hermione. It's addressed to both of us," Ginny replied holding out the note.

Ron took the note before reading it and nodding once as he handed it back. "Do you mind covering for us, Fred?" he asked his older brother.

"Sure thing, bro," Fred replied. Ginny had the feeling that Fred knew exactly what they were going to do and was willing to make sure their parents didn't find out.

Ron stood up. "We'll be back as soon as possible," he said before he and Ginny quickly made their way out of the room.

* * *

><p>Luna Lovegood thanked her father before walking down the streets of Muggle London. Having asked her father to visit her friend in Muggle London and he, reluctantly agreeing, Luna immediately set out to find the Dursley household.<p>

She got the address from Harry and so she knew where to look in Surrey but it still meant that she had a long way to go before she reached Privet Drive.

Walking was good exercise in Luna's mind and so she didn't mind walking all the way to Surrey. She did decide to ride the Knight Bus halfway to Surrey and so she only had to walk the remaining couple of kilometers to the house.

As she walked, she wondered if Hermione really did find another horcrux and if this attempt to get the horcrux will be anything like the last. She hoped not; she liked Professor Snape and she hated to see her friend Harry have to face off against the only man that he could consider to be his father figure.

Sighing, Luna continued to walk onward while her wand was held hidden but in her hand just in case as, so long as the Muggles don't see her use magic or it's in self defense, she could use magic if she needed to.

* * *

><p>When Draco received Hermione's note, he was on his feet and halfway down the steps heading straight toward the floo before he knew it. He needed to be careful, although, since the dark lord liked to call surprise meetings and that meant he could appear at any time. Draco really didn't want to be in the house when the dark lord appeared.<p>

"Where are you going, Draco?" Narcissa asked from where she was standing in the kitchen while her husband sat drinking tea.

Lucius absolutely refused to look at the son that betrayed him.

"Just to go visit a friend, mother," Draco replied. "I'll be back later."

"All right just be careful."

"Yes mother," Draco said before he walked into the study and jogged over to the floo. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed, Draco walked into the floo, tossed the floo powder down and said, "Grimmauld's Place" quietly before the green flames consumed him and he disappeared from Malfoy Manor.

And just in time too.

* * *

><p>Harry glanced up as Hedwig flew over to join him before dropping a note into his hand as he and his guardian took a break in their dueling. Opening the note, Harry read it before smiling faintly as he tucked the note into the pocket of his pants.<p>

"What?" Snape asked.

"Hermione," Harry replied with a shrug." She wants to meet and she thinks…she thinks she's found another horcrux."

Snape nodded. "Then I feel it won't be long before the dark lord calls me," he said. "Very well. Go on but be careful. I must speak with Dumbledore anyway and I'll just tell him you're visiting the Weasleys."

Harry nodded before he watched as Snape disappeared into Prince Manor and he glanced at Hedwig. "Do you want to come with, girl?" he asked.

Hedwig chirped once in reply.

Harry chuckled. "All right," he said. He concentrated before slowly shifting into his animagus dove form and flying into the sky while Hedwig flew over to join him.

\_Ready to go, Hedwig?/_ Harry cooed.

Hedwig chirped. \_As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go,_/ she replied before the dove an the owl flew off side by side toward Surrey.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 27 and I hope that you liked it**

**Darth: it was cool**

**Severus: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: Hedwig's point of view on the flight to Surrey, you'll receive a special gift from Dumbledore, and Draco and the others will meet at the Dursleys former residence**

**Harry: cool**

**Draco: yup**

**Lucius: TRAITOR**

**Voldemort: yup**

**Harry: ah come on! I really need something for this headache now!**

**Draco: I'm pretty sure that happens to everyone Voldy is around; it's probably just his ugly face.**

**Severus: (rolls eyes but snickers)**

**Lucius: (growls) you dare snicker at our lord, Severus!**

**Voldemort: yeah! You dare snicker at me!**

**Severus: (snickers louder)**

**Lucius and Voldemort: (pull out wands)**

**Severus: (raises eyebrows and lifts up remote he borrowed from Blaze)**

**Voldemort and Lucius: (gulps and takes off running)**

**Severus: works every time**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I will post chapter 28, which is going to be an extremely short most likely four page chapter, as soon as I possibly can although I doubt it'll be anytime soon**


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

Hedwig flew alongside her boy Harry as the two birds made their way across the landscape heading directly toward Surrey. She could tell that Harry wasn't looking forward to returning to his old home but he was pushing himself because he knew that the Dursley household was the only place they could safely gather as it was abandoned and not under constant surveillance.

She glanced at Harry. \_Are you all right?_/ she chirped quietly.

\_Yeah. I'm just not looking forward to returning to the Dursley's household. There are too many bad memories there,_/ Harry cooed back softly.

\_I know Harry. You did not have to pick the human Dursley's household. I'm sure there are other places we could've chosen,_/ Hedwig hooted softly.

Harry cooed once. \_I know but this may be the best place._/

Hedwig turned to fix her golden gaze on Harry. \_You do realize there's a chance you'll be fighting the human Snape in this,_/ she cooed softly.

\_I know but I have to accept that he is doing this for the good of England. He needs to be on the inside to discover information important to the Order,_/ Harry cooed in reply.

Hedwig lowered her head in assent as they swerved low once they reached Muggle London and landed on the back of a truck heading in the general direction of Surrey. \_You don't like fighting him though, do you?_/ she hooted the question.

\_Yes. I've come to love him like a father figure even if I know he'll never be my real father,_/ Harry hooted. \_James will always be my real father but Snape is a close second._/

\_I understand Harry,_/ Hedwig replied and the two of them settled down a bit as the truck traveled slowly toward Surrey. \_I wonder where this thing is._/

\_Hermione didn't say. I'm pretty sure that's cause she didn't want someone else accidentally finding the note,_/ Harry cooed back.

Hedwig nodded and turned her gaze to the street in front of her as the truck continued to travel onward through the streets of Muggle London. Harry also watched the street before cooing in what could be best described as dove laughter. Hedwig glanced at her boy. \_What's so funny?_/ She chirped.

Harry glanced at her. \_Everyone's probably wondering why an owl and a dove are riding on top of a truck,_/ he cooed.

Hedwig chirped in amusement. \_Probably so,_/ she chirped before she turned her gaze to the buildings that went by and she spotted a familiar blonde form walking down the streets toward Surrey. \_Is that the girl Luna?_/ Hedwig asked.

Harry also turned to look at the girl before nodding. \_That looks like her,_/ he cooed before he spread his wings and flew over to join the girl. Hedwig also spread her wings before flying after him and the two of them neared the girl.

Luna glanced up before smiling when she spotted him and she stretched out her arm. Hedwig landed on her arm while Harry landed on her shoulder as she began to walk again. "Do you really think Hermione found one?" she asked quietly.

Harry cooed an affirmative once before lowering his head when Luna glanced at him.

"I hope so," she replied dreamily. "Hermione wasn't very specific in her note but I guess she couldn't be." She turned down a street once she saw that it read Privet Drive before she began walking down the street.

"Which house is it, Harry?" she asked quietly.

Harry spread his wings before flying in front of Luna and the blonde girl walked after him. Hedwig noticed almost immediately that for some reason no one who was walking by them acknowledged that they were there. \_No one is seeing us,_/ she chirped to Harry.

\_I guess Luna cast the Notice-Me-Not charm Severus taught me to teach the DA club when we weren't watching,_/ Harry cooed back before he angled his wings toward a house that looked exactly like the others except that it lacked a car.

"This is it?" Luna asked quietly.

Harry cooed an affirmative before flying toward the door. Luna walked up the steps to the door before glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching. When no one was watching, she opened the door and slipped into the abandoned house. Harry flew back to Luna before landing on her shoulder and Hedwig gently touched her wing to his to indicate that it was going to be all right.

"I think we're the first ones here," Luna said.

Harry nodded.

"Well I suppose the others will have to travel by floo or by broom. I hope they remember to cast the Notice-Me-Not charm," Luna said dreamily before she gazed at the abandoned living room. It was empty; there was no furniture, no pictures, no tables, nothing but a blank floor.

"They sure cleaned this house up when your relatives were arrested, Harry," Luna commented vaguely as she turned to look at empty space. "But that means more room to stand and less things to crowd us."

Harry cooed once in reply.

Hedwig flew off of Luna's arm before flying toward the fireplace and landing on it. \_Is this fireplace connected to what you humans call the floo network?_/ she chirped quizzically.

\_I don't know,_/ Harry cooed back. \_I don't think so. Everyone will probably come by broom then or by walking like Luna did._/

\_I'll wait outside for them then,_/ Hedwig hooted before she flew toward the back door and Luna opened it to allow the snowy owl out of the musty house.

* * *

><p>Severus floo traveled to Albus's office just in time to find him sitting at his desk and examining the paperwork in front o him. Albus glanced up. "Good day, Severus," the old Headmaster of Hogwarts greeted him. "I'm glad you took time out of your busy schedule to come speak with me."<p>

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Albus?" Severus asked.

Albus looked at him before he stood up and walked over to join the Potions Professor. "I wanted to give you something," he said before he removed a phoenix shaped pendant from around his neck and held it out to Severus.

Severus examined the pendant. "It's a portkey," he said finally.

Albus nodded. "It'll take you directly to my office if you are ever in need of help, such as if, somehow, Voldemort discovered you were a traitor," he replied.

"This is yours. I don't…"

"I am giving it to you, Severus," Albus said firmly. "In all honesty you need it more than I do. Just keep it with you, Severus, and use it if your position is compromised. It will work, I promise you it will work."

Severus unclipped the pendant before clipping it around his neck, letting the cool metal rest on his chest. "Thank you, Albus," he replied.

"You are most welcome, my boy," replied Albus. "By the way, where is young Harry?"

"He went to visit one of his friends," Severus lied smoothly. He decided that if Albus didn't know about what Harry was doing then it might be for the best. Knowing Albus, he would actually condone this action. Severus, himself, really wished that he had been able to convince Harry out of it.

Albus nodded. "Just tell him to be careful when you next see him. There are a lot of dangers out there right now," he replied with a twinkle in his blue eyes that warned Severus that the headmaster may know more than he was letting on.

He decided that if Albus wished to speak to him about Harry's little quest then he would speak to him about it.

"I shall tell him when I see him next," Severus replied.

Albus nodded and Severus turned around before floo traveling back to Prince Manor. As he entered the manor, he found that it was a bit lonely without Harry being there. Even though Harry had only been living there for, maybe, a week, it still had become a home to him. And even more a home to Severus.

Pushing away the pessimistic bad feelings that were beginning to surge through Severus's vein, Severus told himself firmly that Harry was going to be all right especially with his friends to back him up.

He walked into the kitchen before calling to Niran who popped up in front of him. "Yes Master Severus?" she asked.

"Do you mind making some dinner? It'll just be me tonight since Harry's off with his friends," Severus said.

Niran nodded. "Niran will get to work right away, Master Severus," she replied before she popped away and Severus disappeared into his private lab.

* * *

><p>Draco landed his broom in the Dursley's backyard with Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville just behind him. Since there was no connection to the floo network in the Dursley household, the DA leaders had to travel by broom. The Notice-Me-Not charm had been cast over the friends so that the Muggles wouldn't see them flying over their head.<p>

He walked over to the door to the household as he canceled the Notice-Me-Not charm and Hedwig, who was perched just above the door, chirped happily before flying into the house.

Draco and the others walked into the house and spotted Luna and Harry already there. Harry was in his human form but Draco had the feeling that he had flown all the way here in his dove form.

Harry greeted them before looking at Hermione. "So what's this about?" he asked.

"This," Hermione said before she handed Harry a letter. "It was written in Latin so I had to spend two days translating it but what came out surprised me."

Harry read the letter before frowning. "Why would someone just leave this in a random place? And who is R.A.B?" he asked handing the letter back.

"I don't know. I found it in a book about the River Thames in Sirius's library and that makes me wonder how this person got into Grimmauld's Place," Hermione replied. "But the letter was legitimate, I cast the charm I remember reading in the Charms textbook to make sure of that. Whoever wrote it must believe that Helga's cup is located somewhere in the River Thames in the Thames Valley."

"But where?" Draco asked.

Hermione shook her head. "The Valley incorporates almost every place that the river flows through but I think it might be in the river near the camping sites rather than the city sites," she said.

"So we're going camping?" Ginny asked.

Hermione smiled. "It looks like we are," she replied.

"If we're going camping then we'd best tell our guardians that. Snape already knows what I'm doing but I'm not sure if your guardians know," Harry said.

"I'll contact Fred and tell him to tell Mum of what we're doing," Ginny said.

"I'll tell my gran after Ginny contacts her mum," Neville said.

"Same here," Luna replied dreamily.

"I'll have to speak with Sirius too," Hermione said.

Harry glanced at Draco. "What about you?" he asked.

"I guess I'd better call my mum," Draco replied. "My father won't care but at least my mother will know."

"Is your father still mad about the whole 'betraying your family' thing," Ron asked.

Draco nodded. "He and the dark lord both believed that I'd follow in my father's footsteps but when I insisted that I was for the light, he got mad. The dark lord doesn't know yet, which is a good thing. I doubt he'd let me walk away from that," he said.

"What will happen to you if that happens?" Luna asked.

"The dark lord may kill me. I doubt my mum would stand by and let that happen though, which is why I fear for her," Draco admitted. He shook his head to clear it before narrowing his gray eyes. "Come on, we have to focus on the horcrux, remember?"

"Right," Harry agreed. "We'll speak with our parents guardians and then head out to the River Thames and find a suitable camping place. Once we're there, we can divide into groups, one with at least one good swimmer in each, and search the river for anything that may even resemble Helga's cup."

"Sounds good to me, mate," Ron said.

"We'll leave tonight to give you all a chance to speak with your guardians if that's all right with you. You can all still back out if you want."

The looks Draco and the other the DA leaders threw at Harry clearly told him that they were not going to back out of this mission…no matter what.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 28**

**Darth: It was short**

**Blaze: yup oh and by the way, in this story, Sirius and Harry **_**do**_** have the two way mirrors but I don't remember when exactly Sirius gave the mirror to Harry, I think it was PoA but I'm not sure, probably wrong.**

**Blaze: please review and I'll post chapter 29 as soon as possible but I doubt it'll be anytime soon. It will be from Snape's, Harry's, Hermione's and Luna's POV.**


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Severus couldn't help but scowl when he suddenly felt his dark mark flare in pain almost two hours after he had come back from meeting with Albus. He hid the phoenix pendant around his neck before walking into his study and immediately put on his Death Eater robes and mask before walking over to the floo. Grabbing some floo powder, Severus stepped into the floo. "Malfoy Manor!" he called tossing the powder down before the green flames enveloped him and he disappeared.

He reappeared in Malfoy Manor and stepped out of the floo before walking over to join Lucius. In spite of the Death Eater mask, it was obvious Lucius was angry, no enraged, that would more accurately describe the feeling that was glowing in Lucius's shadowed gray eyes.

Voldemort appeared in front of them and Severus found himself standing at Bellatrix's side while Avery, Yaxley and Dolohov stood on her other side. The dark lord examined his followers with cold crimson eyes. "If what happened at Seaside Manor is any indication, the Order of the Phoenix is also looking for my horcruxes," he said curtly. "But it looks as though they were only able to find the ring. However, we still need to take our fight to the Wizarding World and we need to figure out a way to take out Dumbledore. Lucius!"

Lucius moved forward and knelt down.

"What of your son? He has good promise, he would make a very good Death Eater," Voldemort said.

Lucius hissed angrily. "I have no son. He betrayed me by siding with the Order of the Phoenix and the Potter brat," he spat angrily.

Voldemort's eyes went dark with rage. "Are you absolutely sure of that, Lucius?" he demanded.

"I am positive."

Voldemort hissed in anger. "If he will not claim his birthright then he will die," he said angrily. "Bellatrix, you are free to use your skills with the Cruciatus Curse on this traitor to purebloods everywhere before I kill him personally."

Severus glanced at his friend as Lucius walked back to join the ranks of the Death Eaters while Bellatrix's eyes glittered with anticipation. _How could he condemn his own son to death?_ Severus thought. He decided it was because Lucius Malfoy was almost as bad as Bellatrix and Voldemort when it came to those who betray him.

"Severus!"

Severus moved forward immediately before kneeling down. "Yes my lord?" he asked.

"Is there any new news from Dumbledore?"

"No my lord. Ever since the fiasco at Seaside Manor, Dumbledore has been busy attempting to find the other horcuxes but he has been unable to find them, even after he left with several Order of the Phoenix members during the school year."

Voldemort nodded curtly and turned his attention to the others as Severus walked back to join the ranks of his 'so called' allies. When Voldemort ended the meeting, Severus floo traveled back to Prince Manor before sighing as he thought about the meeting.

The declaration made by Lucius Malfoy and the task Voldemort gave Bellatrix gave Severus the chills. He found himself thinking about Draco and he realized that his godson was in danger. _But they must be far away by now so how am I going to get in touch with Harry?_ Severus thought.

He thought about Black and decided that he would ask Black if he had anyway to contact Harry, he found that it was likely or else Black wouldn't have escaped during Harry's third year at Hogwarts. He walked over to the floo before floo traveling to Grimmauld's Place and he was a bit surprised find Black sitting in the conference room.

"Snape, to what do I owe the honor?" Black sneered sarcastically.

"Save it, Black," Severus snapped back. "I need to know if you have anyway to get in touch with Harry."

"Why?"

"Draco is in danger. Lucius declared his own son a traitor and now the dark lord is giving Bellatrix Lestrange free reign if she catches Draco before the dark lord will kill him himself," Severus replied.

"Harry won't like that. Draco has become a good friend," Black said standing up before he disappeared out of the conference room and reappeared with a mirror in his hand. "Let's hope Harry thought about taking the mirror I gave him with him."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Two way mirrors, Snape," Black said curtly.

"When did you give it to him?"

"At the beginning of fifth year, I believe, but if Harry doesn't have his mirror then I don't know how to contact him and you may have to wait until they get back from camping."

_Camping? What the bloody hell is my ward up to?_ Severus thought. He found himself wondering if one of the horcruxes was located in a camping site somewhere.

* * *

><p>"Harry, your mirror's vibrating," Hermione said walking over to join her friend with the two way mirror Harry had had Hermione grab from Grimmauld's Place when she told Sirius that they were going camping. Harry figured that it made sense for him to bring the two way mirror just in case his guardian or Sirius found out some information that they may need. He figured he probably should have taken it with him when the DA leaders went to Seaside Manor.<p>

"Sirius is contacting me," Harry said taking the mirror and sure enough his godfather's face appeared on the mirror. "Hi Sirius."

"Hi there kiddo," Sirius greeted him smiling before he grew serious. "Where are you?"

"We're still looking for a camping site," Harry replied. "What's the matter?"

"Is Draco with you?"

"Yeah he's here."

"Snape just came back from a meeting with the dark lord and says to pass on this message to Draco; tell him to be careful because Bellatrix and Voldemort are going after him. His father declared him a traitor and Voldemort has given Bella free reign to do whatever she wants to Draco before he kills him himself."

Harry's eyes went wide. "Why would Malfoy do such a thing to his own son?" he exclaimed while Draco, who was listening in on the conversation, paled.

"Who knows why Lucius Malfoy does anything?"

"All right, thanks for the warning Sirius," Harry said.

"No problem kiddo. You sure you don't want me there with you?"

Harry hesitated. If Voldemort got a whiff of what they were doing then it would only put Sirius into unnecessary danger and it was bad enough Harry couldn't convince his friends out of it. "Yeah I'm sure," Harry lied. He really wouldn't mind his godfather being there with them but he didn't want to risk his godfather's life.

"All right then." There was a moment of silence before Sirius added, "Snape says to be careful."

"Yeah, I know, Sirius. Tell him I will be," Harry replied before he handed the mirror back to Hermione who hide it within the pack she had brought with her.

"All right now what?" she asked.

"We find Helga's cup and take it to Dumbledore since we don't know how to destroy it ourselves."

"All right. Let's split up."

Harry gazed at his friends before looking at Draco. "I'll go with Draco," he said finally deciding that, since he was trained by his guardian, he may be able to help protect Draco should the Death Eaters attack. "We'll use our patronuses to keep in contact with each other should we find it. Just make sure no muggle sees us and we won't get charged by the Ministry."

Hermione nodded. "I'll go with Ginny and Ron," she said.

"I'll go with Neville," Luna said quietly.

Harry nodded and the three groups split up before making their way to separate sections of the river. "Now how are we going to find the cup if it's underwater?" he murmured.

"A location spell maybe," Draco suggested.

"Does a location spell even work on inanimate objects?"

"I don't know." Draco shrugged before he and Harry began searching the area.

* * *

><p>"How the bloody hell are we going to find the cup if it's underwater?" Ron exclaimed as he followed Hermione who was examining the water her brown eyes narrowed as she thought about where the cup could be located.<p>

"Well it's heavy and there a chance that R.A.B just tossed it into the valley; there's also a chance the river pushed it onto the bank. Try looking right where the water meets the land," Hermione suggested. "Something shiny or perhaps something dull; it depends on how long its' been in the river."

Ron and Ginny nodded in agreement and the three of them separated to where they were just within sights of each other as they continued to gaze through the river. Hermione knelt down when she spotted something shiny in the water but she found that it was nothing more than a sliver of metal.

_Well that's not it,_ she thought as she tossed the metal back into the river.

The three of them searched onward until the sun began to drop beyond the horizon before it became too dark to search any more. Murmuring "_lumos_", Hermione led the way back to the clearing that the companions had chosen for their campsite.

She noticed that the two large tents were already pitched and a small fire was glowing in the center of the clearing. Harry and Draco were sitting beside it while Neville and Luna were walking back into the clearing. "No luck?" Hermione asked as she sat down next to one of the big tents.

"Nothing," Draco grumbled. "Either we're just missing it or R.A.B was good at hiding it."

"It could be in the middle of the river," Luna said quietly.

"We weren't able to find anything either," Neville said just as quietly.

"Well that's not good. We'll try again tomorrow," Harry said. "Draco and I came up empty handed too."

"Maybe we should try the other side of the river," Neville suggested. "We could have just picked the wrong side of the river."

"Nev has a point," Ron said.

"But if it's in the middle of the river then how are we going to know it's there?" Ginny asked.

No one had an answer, Hermione noticed.

"A location spell could work," she said thoughtfully.

"There's no telling if a location spell would work on an inanimate object. Even if it does, there's also no telling if the muggles will see it," Harry said.

Draco narrowed his eyes. "Everyone should be asleep now. We can try it now," he said. "Does anyone know it?"

"I do," Hermione said. "I remember reading it during Charms last year."

Ron shook his head before smiling faintly. "I should have known, 'Mione," he said.

Hermione smiled before she stood up and walked to the edge of the river before murmuring the incantation to perform the location spell, substituting Helga's cup in where it was needed before watching as the spell took place. She hoped that no one was up because the spell was bright but she also noticed that it spread out across the river before narrowing in on a point in the center of the river.

"I think I have it," she said.

"Let's hope it is it," Ron said.

Harry gazed at the location the spell had found out and he narrowed his eyes; the pinprick of light was glowing in the center of the river about five or so meters north of their current position. "It looks like we're going to have to swim," he said grimly before he gazed at his friends.

"I can swim pretty well," Luna said dreamily.

"I'll cast a spell on you that'll allow you to breath underwater for about an hour," Hermione said.

Luna nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Luna came to a stop by the river as the pinprick of light continued to glow in the center of the river. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she said quietly as Hermione cast the spell over her before she dived into the river and began swimming toward the light that glittered in the distance.<p>

The light was growing steadily bigger and Luna found that Hermione's spell worked perfectly for she was able to breath like a fish as she swam deeper into the river toward the light. She hoped that the location spell Hermione had performed was accurate for she was unsure of what else they could do if the location spell hadn't worked.

Swimming deeper into the river, Luna suddenly spotted the source of the location spell and she immediately propelled herself toward the source. She lowered herself to the bottom of the river and she spotted a gold colored cup wedged in the pebbles and sand of the river floor.

Stretching out a hand, Luna grasped the cup before struggling to pull the cup away but the weight of the river kept it pinned to the river's bottom. _Now what?_ Luna thought as she swum around the cup and began to use her hands to push the pebbles out of the way enough to where the cup tipped over.

Turning it upside down, Luna pulled it out from the bottom and it came free from the river's bottom easier then it had when it was right side up. Holding the cup in her hand, the young blond witch swam rapidly toward the top of the river and she managed to break the surface before taking a deep breath as Hermione cancelled the spell.

"Do you get it?" Ron asked.

"I think so," Luna replied lifting the gold cup out of the river.

"Now we just have to get the cup to Dumbledore or Snape and see if it is the horcrux," Harry said as Luna swam to the riverbank and climbed out of it casting a drying charm over her as she handed the cup to Harry.

"It would look to suspicious if we just leave before the night is over," Neville said quietly. "My gran thinks I'm going to be here until tomorrow."

Draco nodded in agreement. "So does my mum," he said.

Luna frowned at Draco. "What about your dad?" she asked quietly. "If you go back to your home then won't you dad just turn you in to Yo…Voldemort?"

Draco paled again. "I don't know where else to go," he whispered.

"You can always come home with me," Harry said smiling. "You are Severus's godson after all so."

"True but that might make things suspicious for Uncle Sev," Draco said quietly.

"Not if Voldemort doesn't know you are there. Severus said that the wards are strong enough to keep anyone with ill intent or darkness in their hearts away, namely the Death Eaters and Voldemort," Harry said.

"That would also explain why no one knows where Uncle Sev lives," Draco mused eyes narrowing. "Let's just stay the night and then we can go back to Grimmauld's Place after that. From there, we can go to either Hogwarts or Prince Manor."

"I don't think we should talk too loudly about this," Neville said fearfully. "Someone might be listening in on us."

"_Muffiato,_" Hermione murmured waving her wand. "There, now if anyone is listening in on our conversation, they will only hear a buzzing sound in their ears."

"Let's hope they won't be able to put two and two together," Ginny murmured.

Ron nodded in agreement with his sister. "So we'll just rest for the night and leave in the morning?" he asked.

"I think we should have someone stay on guard just in case. There is no telling if anyone knows where we are after all," Harry said.

"I'll take the first watch," Hermione said.

"Wake me up at midnight and I'll take over," Draco said.

Harry tucked the cup into his pack before he, Draco, Ron and Neville entered one of the tents with their packs while Ginny and Luna entered the other tent with their packs. Luna sat down beside Ginny in the center of the tent. "Ginny, do you think we'll be able to win this war?" she asked quietly.

"I think so," Ginny replied. "But it'll take time and we still have to worry about three more horcruxes."

Luna nodded in agreement. "True," she said quietly. "Maybe finding the other horcruxes will be just as easy as finding this one."

"I doubt it."

Luna sighed. "Yes so do I," she admitted.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 29**

**Darth: how many more chapters?**

**Blaze: well they still have three more horcruxes not to mention the final battle and the aftermath of finding each horcrux and the epilogue, if there is one. Hmm? (Does math) I would say 10.3335667216**

**Severus: how the bloody hell can there be a .3335667216 chapter**

**Darth: she forgot a number**

**Blaze: oops, I forgot a number (does math again) ten**

**Severus: (sneers) that makes more sense**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I will post chapter 30 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon and it will come from Harry's, Snape's, and Draco's point of view**


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty**

Harry felt the pull almost immediately and he recognized who it was and almost as soon as he recognized he, he focused on his occlumency shields. Building all three of them up until they were as strong as he could possibly make them, Harry winced as he felt Voldemort slam against them. He struggled to pull himself from his sleep and sat up rubbing his now throbbing head as he was able to pull himself from the dream.

"Are you all right mate?" Ron asked quietly sitting up in his sleeping bag.

"Yeah, it was Voldy again," Harry murmured, putting on his glasses and causing Ron to chuckle at the nickname given to the dark lord. "But I managed to keep him at bay until I woke up."

"Well that's good at least," Ron said yawning.

The flap to the tent opened and Draco poked his blond head inside. "It's a couple of hours after dawn," he said.

"We should probably get up and start packing up," Harry said pushing himself to his feet before walking out of the tent with Ron and Neville just behind him.

"Are we going to head back to Grimmauld's Place now?" Luna asked quietly as she and Hermione teamed up to take down the tent while Ginny finished putting out the fire and getting everything ready to go.

"That might be best," Harry replied before he glanced up a Hedwig flew down to join them from where she was perched on a nearby tree branch. He reached into his pack before pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill and writing a quick message on it.

"Hedwig, will you take this to Dumbledore at Hogwarts?" Harry asked glancing at Hedwig who chirped an affirmative and took the note. Harry watched as the snowy owl flew away through the trees of the Thames Valley and toward Scotland.

"We'll have to be careful," Harry said making sure the cup was still within his pack. "We don't know if the Death Eaters know of where we are or not although no one has told me anything on the Death Eaters' movements, not since Sirius warned me about Draco."

Draco shuddered. "I hate to leave my mother but I know my mother wouldn't want me to stay there when my father and ol' Voldy wants to kill me because I _won't_ follow in my father's footsteps," he said.

Harry smiled faintly. "As I said, you can always come home with me," he said. "But now, we should get back to Grimmauld's Place and contact Dumbledore or Severus."

Draco nodded before the companions called their brooms to their hands and Harry, concentrating, shimmered into his animagus form and flew over to land on Ginny's shoulder as she climbed onto her broom. Neville and Hermione teamed up to gather the tents together while Ron doused the burning embers of the fire with water and Luna climbed onto her broom.

Hermione, Neville, Draco and Ron climbed onto their brooms before they flew away from the Thames Valley and headed toward Grimmauld's Place. After resting on Ginny's shoulder for half of the ride, Harry flew off of it and took the lead.

"Hermione, do you still have the cup?" Ron asked.

Hermione glanced at the pack she was holding beside her own before she opened it to reveal the golden cup that may, or may not, be Helga's cup and the horcrux. "Yeah, I still have it."

"Er…should it be out in the open?" Neville asked quietly.

"I don't think so, not in case the Death Eaters are still nearby," said Draco quietly.

Harry cooed in agreement.

Hermione nodded before placing her wand on the pack and murmuring a Notice-Me-Not charm on it. "There, at least no one will see it from far away."

Luna smiled in agreement. "Now how many more do we have to find?" she asked quietly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes as she tried to remember. "I think four," she replied. "We've got the ring and the cup."

"How many are there?"

"I think six."

Harry cooed before landing on Ginny's shoulder again when his soft wings began to tire and Hermione glanced at him. "We've already destroyed two of the horcruxes, didn't we?" she asked.

Harry shook his head before cooing three times knowing that Tom's Journal from second year was also a horcrux.

"We destroyed three?"

Harry cooed in agreement.

"So we only have _three_ left?" asked Draco.

Harry cooed once in response.

"But where are the other three?" Neville asked quietly.

"I do not know that. We'll have to try to look for them as soon as we get back to Grimmauld's Place," said Hermione.

Harry cooed in agreement before watching as the brooms slowly came to a stop outside of Grimmauld's Place and he flew off of Ginny's shoulder before landing and, once he was sure no muggles were watching, shimmered into his human form. "Let's get inside," he said.

The others nodded in agreement before the six companions entered the apartment building.

* * *

><p>Severus floo traveled to Grimmauld's Place just after his headmaster when Albus received the note from Harry's snowy owl Hedwig. As he stepped out of the floo into the conference room just behind Albus, he found himself met with Sirius who sneered at him.<p>

"Snape," he spat.

"Black," Severus hissed back.

Albus sighed. "I wonder what Harry wished to tell us," he said.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Harry sent me a brief note with his owl Hedwig that he would be arriving at Grimmauld's Place and he had something to show me," Albus replied.

"I thought he was just going camping," Sirius protested.

Severus snorted but said nothing in response. The three of them waited together for a while until the door leading into the conference room opened and Harry walked in followed by his five companions, who were each carrying packs most likely from the camping expedition that they just returned from.

"Hi Severus, Sirius, Professor Dumbledore," Harry greeted them.

"So why did you ask me to come here, Mr. Potter?" Albus asked gently.

"Well…" Harry glanced at Hermione who nodded and he looked back at Albus. "I think we found a horcrux."

Albus's eyes went wide with surprise.

Hermione slowly pulled out a golden cup from her pack before placing it on the conference table. "We're not sure if it really is it but we figured it was worth a shot in checking since we know that the four of the horcruxes are the items that once belonged to the founders."

Severus glanced at the cup and he found that he could sense the darkness within it before he glanced at Albus. "It is one," he said.

Albus nodded once in response. "It is," he said before he stretched out a hand and gently touched Helga's cup before glancing at Harry and his companions. "You six did us a great service in finding this horcrux. I thank you for that."

Severus sneered at the headmaster. "I still think it was a risky and dangerous mission you just came back, thankfully unscathed, from," he said glancing back at his ward. "Nonetheless, you did find it and, thankfully, did not encounter the dark lord, which means he still has no idea as to what happened to yet another of his horcuxes."

"Now then, why don't we all head home?" Albus suggested lifting the horcrux into his hands before he glanced at the others, gave them a small nod and floo traveled back to Hogwarts.

"What are we going to do about Draco though?" Harry asked as Luna, Neville, Ron and Ginny walked over to the floo to floo travel back to their respected homes while Draco stayed where he was.

Severus pursed his lips together in thought knowing full well that if he allowed his godson to return to Malfoy Manor then he may be forfeiting his godson's life. "He'll come with us back to Prince Manor," he said finally. "The wards around the manor will protect him and Lucius doesn't need to know that he is there, nor does the Dark Lord."

Harry smiled before glancing at Draco. "I told you he would let you come to the manor," he said.

Draco smiled faintly at Harry. "Still, it's putting him in danger. If Voldemort knew you were hiding me then you'd be in danger," he said glancing at Severus.

Severus found himself wondering what had happened to the boy that Draco had once been. Then again, Severus knew that Draco always cared for him as much as he cared for his mother and respected his father.

"I will be fine," he said. "I can take care of myself." He then gestured toward the fireplace before adding, "Let's get back to Prince Manor before the dark lord gets whiff of what is happening."

Draco and Harry nodded before they said their goodbyes to their friends and watched them floo travel back to their homes. Hermione glanced at Harry. "I'll let you know if I find any more clues," she said smiling faintly.

"And try to see who R.A.B is too," Harry added.

Sirius stiffened. "R.A.B?" he echoed. "What are you talking about? Those are the initials of my brother Regulus."

"What?" Harry echoed in surprise.

"That would make sense since I found the note in a book here at Grimmauld's Place," Hermione murmured.

"Note? What note?" Sirius asked raising an eyebrow.

"The note that led us to Helga's cup. It was written by someone called R.A.B," said Hermione in reply before she pulled out the note from her pocket and handed it to Sirius.

"This looks like Regulus's writing," Sirius admitted handing the note back. "But I don't see how Regulus was able to discover the location of the horcruxes. He died years ago."

"The cup was in the center of the river and I think that it was in the river for quite a while," Hermione said.

Sirius nodded in agreement and Severus glanced at his ward and his godson. "Why don't we get going?" he suggested.

Draco and Harry nodded in agreement before following Severus through the floo after saying their goodbyes to Hermione.

* * *

><p>Draco examined the room that he had been provided with within Prince Manor; it was located right next to Harry's room and looked plain with a lack of many things. It held a bed, a dresser, a window overlooking the backyard of his godfather's home and a side table lying next to the small bed. His godfather stood just behind him and was gazing around with narrowed eyes. "I had Niran clean it out when we got back to the manor but it's most likely nothing like the room you have back at Prince Manor. I'll talk to your mother and see if I can get your stuff over here before your father or the dark lord gets a whiff of where you are," Snape said.<p>

Draco glanced up at him. "Thank you godfather," he said quietly.

"You may call me Severus or Uncle Severus while you're here, Draco. You know that already," Snape reminded the young blonde wizard.

Draco nodded. "All right, Uncle Severus," he said. "But thank you anyway, for everything. I just hope my mother will be all right."

"I'll talk with her and see if I can get her to relocate although I don't know if she will leave or not," Snape replied.

"Thank you. I don't want anything to happen to her," said Draco quietly. He really did love his mother and he had once respected his father but that respect was lost when Snape told him that his own father had agreed with Voldemort to kill him after letting Bellatrix LeStrange torture him. Draco shuddered at the thought of being on the receiving end of Bellatrix's wand.

"I'm sure nothing will happen to her," Snape said calmly. "Now then, why don't you join Harry in the backyard? Niran will let you know when dinner is ready."

Draco nodded before he walked out of his room and jogged down the steps to the living room where Harry was lying on the couch with a book in his hands. "Hey Harry," Draco said and Harry glanced up before saving his spot in the book and placing it on the couch beside him.

"Hi Draco," he greeted him standing up.

"Do you want to go outside and go flying?"

"Sure."

The two of them walked out of the house after Harry and Draco summoned their brooms and took off on their brooms to fly around Prince Manor while Snape, who had walked into the living room after Draco, walked over to the floo to speak with Draco's mother.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: Yeah I know Draco's part was short but it'll be longer in the next chapter**

**Darth: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: Severus's conversation with Narcissa Malfoy**

**Severus: Luna will discover a clue as to the location of the next horcrux**

**Harry: and a visit to Muggle London**

**Blaze: next chapter will probably be short**

**Darth: how many more chapters?**

**Blaze: (thinks about it for a long moment) about six more chapters**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup please review and I will post chapter thirty one as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon and it will be from Severus's, Luna's and Draco's POV**


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**Once again AU and not that realistic. Also thank you to everyone who helped me get over 300 reviews on this story.**

**Chapter Thirty One**

Severus walked over to the floo before placing a quick floo call to Malfoy Manor in a hope that Lucius will not be the one to answer his call. Luckily, Narcissa was the one that answered his call and she frowned when she spotted him, her blue eyes narrowing. "Severus, what can I do for you?" she asked kneeling down in front of the fireplace.

"Would you mind stepping over, Cissy?" Severus asked.

Narcissa nodded and Severus pulled his head back before waiting as the floo flared to life and Narcissa stepped out into the living room of Prince Manor dusting herself off. The wards around the manor protected it from anyone who bore the dark mark, if they were not Severus, and anyone with ill intent in their hearts so Narcissa, who wasn't technically speaking a Death Eater, did not bear the mark and did not have ill intent in her heart, was able to bypass the wards.

Lucius would not be able to do so, especially after what he basically condemned his own son to.

"So what can I do for you, Severus?" Narcissa asked.

"It's about your son," Severus replied before he quickly explained what happened in the last Death Eater meeting including Lucius's declaration that Draco was no longer his son. "And he basically agreed with the dark lord and Bellatrix to allow Bella to torture Draco should she catch him before the dark lord killed him himself."

Narcissa gasped placing her hand above her lips. "I never knew…" she broke off before shaking her head. "I don't wish to sound cruel but this sounds like something Lucius would do. He is a stickler for pure blood superiority and he was pretty upset with his son for siding with the Weasleys, Potter and the muggleborn Hermione. But what can I do?"

"I've already offered that Draco stay here with me," Severus replied. "Since neither Lucius nor the dark lord know of Prince Manor, he will be safe here. However, he is concerned about you and I was hoping to talk you into relocating to placate your son's fears."

"I hate to leave my son behind," Narcissa admitted. "But you're right. It would also be too dangerous for me to stay here for that's likely to be the first place Lucius would guess. How do you hope to prevent Lucius from guessing that Draco is with you?"

"If he asks, I can always agree with him that Draco is a traitor," _that hurt to say,_ Severus thought, "and say that I don't know where he is staying. It's very likely that he will believe me."

Narcissa nodded. "Do you need anything?"

"I was wondering if you would send Draco's stuff over," Severus replied. "It would be best if Draco had his stuff with him."

"All right. I'll get his stuff and bring it to you before Lucius comes back."

"Where is Lucius?"

"I do not know. I think he had another mission for the dark lord but he didn't explain what it was to me," Narcissa replied before she disappeared through the floo.

"Did you talk with my mum, Uncle?" Draco asked walking into the living room at that moment.

"Yes, she just went to get your stuff and she's likely to relocate to somewhere outside of Britain for the time being," Severus replied.

Draco nodded.

"I think it's stupid and cruel of Malfoy to do that to his own son," Harry said angrily.

Draco sighed. "I used to respect him and I can't believe that he would actually stand by and _let_ Bellatrix and Voldemort do that to me," he said quietly either not noticing or ignoring Severus's flinch.

"I do not know either, Draco," said Severus before he glanced back at the fireplace as it flared and Narcissa stepped out of the floo with Draco's stuff. She placed Draco's stuff on the ground before gently gathering her son into a hug.

"I love you, Dragon," she said to her son. "And I'll see you when this war is over."

"Where are you going, mother?" Draco asked as he hugged his mother back.

"I think either France or Italy. Someplace as far from Britain as I can get without having to leave the eastern hemisphere. I might even go to America for a bit but I don't know yet."

"What about money?"

"I took enough money from the Malfoy vault to last me for a couple of years," said Narcissa as she released her son.

"I wish you the best of luck, Cissy," Severus said.

"Thank you, Severus and please watch over and protect him," Narcissa said.

"Don't worry, Cissy, I will."

"Thank you." Narcissa hugged her son quickly again before she turned and floo traveled back to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

><p>Luna walked down from her room within her house to find her father sitting at the dining room table looking over some moving pictures and she found herself wondering what her father was looking at. Her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, was her only living parent for her mother had died due to a potions accident when Luna was younger and Luna loved her father very much.<p>

"What are you looking at, father?" Luna asked quietly sitting don beside Xenophilius.

"Just some pictures we've taken over the years," Xenophilius, the editor of the _Quibbler_ magazine, said. "A lot of these I took when we were visiting Muggle London. Look, here's when we visited the Tower of London."

The Tower of London was the home of the priceless crown jewels of the crown and it was located on Tower Hill in London. It was one of the few places that Luna and her father ever went that was within the muggle world. They had managed to get a good look at many of the crown jewels and Xenophilius managed to get a few pictures of the jewels.

Luna frowned when she spotted one of the pictures and she stretched out a hand before picking the picture up. The picture was one in which Luna was smiling and waving at her father next to the door leading into the vault of the crown jewels but something caught Luna's eyes, beyond her in the magical picture. A headband of some sort was lying on the top of the pile of jewels and Luna felt that the jeweled headband should be familiar. She also remembered that the picture had been taken eight years ago so it was very much likely that the headband was something that Luna should remember.

"Can I borrow this picture, father?" Luna asked dreamily.

"Sure, Luna," replied Xenophilius and Luna took the image before making her way back to her room. She lied down on her bed before examining the picture and she found herself thinking about the diadem she could see in the picture. She walked over to her bookshelf before she pulled out one of the books and went to the index.

She went through three different books before she finally found what she needed in the index; Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem. Luna flipped to the page of the item and compared the diadem in the book with the item in the picture and she was struck by the resemblance.

_The crown is in the vault of the Tower of London? How did it get there?_ Luna wondered examining the diadem. She found herself wondering how they would be able to get the diadem out of the vault within the Tower of London. When she and her father visited the tower, there were always security guards around the door to the vault and the vault was only opened once a month.

_I'll have to talk to Hermione and the others and see what they have to say about it,_ Luna thought before she put the book away and picked up a piece of parchment and a quill. She picked up the quill before writing a quick letter to Hermione where she was staying at Grimmauld's Place while her parents remained in Italy.

Once she finished writing the letter, she sent it before looking back at the picture where the diadem was located. _But how are we going to get into the vault to get the diadem without the security force noticing us?_ She wondered silently.

* * *

><p>Draco glanced up from where he was sitting on the couch in the living room of Prince Manor when an owl flew through the window. The owl landed before hooting and Draco stretched out a hand before taking the letter that was within the owls talons. He thanked the owl before watching as it rose and flew away. He glanced at it and, noticing that it had Harry's name on it, got to his feet before jogging outside where Harry and Severus were dueling.<p>

He was just in time to see Harry getting tossed backwards by a well placed stunning charm. Severus lowered his wand. "You have to be quick, Harry," he called as Harry picked himself up. "Or else anyone can take advantage of how slow you are."

"It's sort of hard to be quick when you don't know what your opponent's going to do next," Harry muttered.

Severus snorted. "No one knows what their opponent is going to do next," he said. "You have to anticipate what they will do next and it depends on who you are up against. Someone unpredictable will be harder to judge than someone with little to no experience."

Harry nodded before glancing at Draco. "Hi Draco," he greeted him.

"Harry." Draco held up a letter. "This just came in for you but it doesn't say who it's from."

Harry walked over to Draco to take the letter before he opened it and Draco read the letter over Harry's shoulder.

_Harry,_

_Luna thinks she's found another one. Meet at usual place. Might need polyjuice potion though._

_Hermione_

"She's found another one," Harry said lowering the letter as Severus walked over to join them.

Draco frowned. "But why does she think we'll need polyjuice potion?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know." He glanced at Severus before adding, "Severus, where can we get the ingredients for a polyjuice potion?"

"Do you honestly think I will tell you the ingredients that you need to make the polyjuice potion?" he asked raising his eyebrows.

"Hermione thinks we'll need it, Uncle," Draco said.

Severus snorted. "You two are going to be the death of me," he muttered. "Come, I may have a couple of vials of the polyjuice potion in my stores but if not then you will be unable to use it."

"How long does it take to brew?"

"One month," Harry said and Draco and Severus glanced at once at Harry who frowned. "What?"

"How did you know that?" Draco asked.

"Er…" Harry shrugged sheepishly eyes looking guilty.

"Harry, you've brewed polyjuice potion before haven't you?" Severus asked.

"Back in second year," Harry murmured finally. "And Hermione was the one that brewed it."

"How the bloody hell did you get the ingredients to brew it? Some of those ingredients are very ra…" Severus broke off before his eyes narrowed and grew cold. Draco could tell immediately that his godfather had just figured out something. "You're the ones that broke into my private stores in your second year." His eyes blazed with fury and Harry winced before lowering his head.

"I didn't know what to do. We were trying to find the Heir of Slytherin and we thought that it, well, we thought it might have been Draco."

Draco was shocked at this.

"And so we used the potion to sneak into the Slytherin common room to talk to Draco."

Draco was even more surprised at this. He had honestly thought he had been speaking to Goyle and Crabbe back in second year and all this time it had been Potter and his friends.

Severus scowled angrily. "You could have been expelled for that, Harry," he snapped angrily. "The potion is very complex and very dangerous if you get it wrong."

"Not to mention you'd probably have nailed our hides to the wall if you found it we were the ones that broke into your stores," said Harry lightly.

Severus curled his lip in a sneer. "You are lucky you are my ward, Harry," he said curtly. "I will let this go…for now. Come, we are wasting time." He then led the way into the house and Harry and Draco quickly followed him.

Sure enough, Severus had four vials of the Polyjuice Potion within his collection of many potions and he offered them to Harry. "Just remember, Harry," he said. "You'll need to get something of the person, usually hair, to put in the potion before you drink it. Also, when you get back, I will ground you for breaking into my stores second year. Now, however, go get the horcrux."

Harry took two vials and Draco took the other two before they nodded and hurried toward the backyard. Draco summoned his broom to his hand and Harry handed Draco the two vials he was holding. Severus followed them out before watching them as Draco climbed onto his broom, holding the vials steadily in his hands. Severus pointed his wand at the vials before murmuring a spell and the vials glowed briefly before the light faded.

"There. Now they won't break," he said.

"Thanks Uncle Severus," Draco said before he tucked all four vials into his pockets and he waved a goodbye to his godfather before he lifted up into the air. Harry briefly hugged Severus goodbye before apologizing again and then he shimmered into his dove form and flew over to join Draco. Hedwig also flew over to join Harry and Harry spoke with her calmly but the snowy owl refused to budge. Cooing softly, Harry nodded his head before he and Hedwig joined Draco. The three of them flew rapidly away from Prince Manor before heading toward the Dursley household after Draco cast a Notice-Me-Not charm over them.

When they arrived, Draco landed his broom and Harry shimmered into his human form before they walked into the abandoned house where Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Luna and Neville were waiting while Hedwig flew over to land above the fireplace. "So what did you find?" Draco asked.

"I'm not sure if it's correct," said Luna dreamily. "But I found this." She held out the picture and Harry took it before examining it. "I think it might be Rowena's crown," said Luna softly. "I saw a picture of Rowena's crown in one of my old textbooks and I compared the two. It really does resemble this."

"And how are we going to get it?"

"I was thinking we can use Polyjuice Potion to take on the face of a security guard or someone who frequently enters the vault where the crown is located," Hermione said.

"That might work," Harry said. "Severus only gave me four vials of the potion so that means only four will be able to sneak into the Tower of London tonight. We can take the face of a night guard."

"That would work," Neville said quietly. "But who's going?"

"I know I'm going," said Harry.

"I'm going with you, mate," Ron said.

"Me too," Hermione agreed.

"I will go as well," Draco added.

"What do we do?" Ginny asked.

"I think you three should be on guard and one of you can send a Patronus to warn us if there is any sign of Death Eaters," Harry added.

The two girls and Neville nodded once in response.

"Good job, Luna," Harry added.

"Yes, good job Luna," Draco added before looking away when the blonde girl turned her gray gaze to him.

Neville noticed this and his eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.

"We should get going," Hermione said. "I think we should either walk or drive to Muggle London for brooms would be too obvious."

"But none of us know how to drive," Ron said.

"Least of all Ron," Harry added. "I specifically remember Ron driving a car directly into the Whomping Willow in second year. We almost got expelled because of that had it not been for Dumbledore."

"Naturally, it was Snape who wanted us to be expelled," Ron commented.

"He had every right to be angry. We nearly revealed the Wizarding World to all of Muggle London. By the way, he isn't too happy with us after what happened in second year when we broke into his stores," Harry added with a look at Hermione.

Hermione smiled faintly. "Come on, we're wasting time," she said. "I suppose we can ride to the outskirts and walk the rest of the way."

"Good idea," Neville said.

The seven friends left the Dursley household before six of them climbed onto their brooms and Harry shifted into his dove form before taking the lead. The seven flew toward the outskirts of London, reaching it within only an hour of leaving Little Whinging, and landed their brooms. Shifting back into his human form, Harry watched as the rest of his friends hid their brooms beneath a bush and then they made their way into London.

Gazing around, Hermione pointed out the Tower of London and the seven friends made their way toward it as the sun began to fall in the night sky. The seven friends peered at the tower the instant they found it as they watched the security guards leave and others were beginning to make their way toward the tower.

"Those must be the night guards," said Harry.

"Let's be quick," Ginny said before she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the nearest security guard. Draco watched as Ginny, Luna, Neville and Ron stunned four of the security guards, one of them was a woman while the other two were men, before they quickly used a spell to transport the stunned guards to a nearby room.

Taking a strand of hair from the four security guards, Draco dropped each hair into a separate vial before handing one to Harry, Hermione and Ron. "Well, let's get this over with," he said before he drunk the Polyjuice Potion grimacing at the taste and the Golden Trio followed suit.

It wasn't long before they looked exactly like the four security guards and Draco glanced at Neville, Ginny and Luna. "We should be quick," he said.

"Yeah and make sure to not talk," Ron added.

"I knew I should have noticed something odd," Draco muttered glowering at Harry and Ron as he remembered second year.

"Ah…well…sorry?" Harry said although he phrased it as a question.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said before he led the way out of the room and he was followed by the Golden Trio. The four of them walked over to the Tower of London just as the last day guard was about to leave.

"You're late," the guard said. "Your pay is going to be docked for this."

The four friends nodded.

"Then get going. The vault was open again for a viewing so make sure to close it before you leave after your shift is over," the day guard said.

The four nodded before walking into the tower as the guard left. Upon closing the door, Harry locked the door with a quick spell and the four of them quickly made their way toward the vault.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 31**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup**

**Severus: in the next chapter, the finding of the Rowena's crown, an attack on Muggle London, a capture and a truth revealed**

**Harry: what truth? Oh wait, uh oh**

**Severus: yup**

**Blaze: please review and I will post chapter 32 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon**


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**Warning: Character Death**

**Oh and if the first part isn't realistic, I'm sorry.**

**Chapter Thirty Two**

Hermione led the way toward the vault within the Tower of London with her friends just behind her. They were walking quickly toward the staircase and Hermione knew that they would only have a little while to find the horcrux just in case the Death Eaters got wind of what they were doing. Hermione knew that Snape would try to keep their suspicions away from the Tower but she also knew that Snape couldn't do much without revealing his position.

"We're almost there," Hermione said.

Harry nodded in agreement and they walked quickly onward moving quietly but swiftly toward the vault. The vault, like the guard had said, was open and Hermione peered into it her eyes narrowing until she caught sight of the diadem that resembled the one in the picture Luna had showed them. "There it is," Harry whispered peering into the vault as well.

"Who's going to get it?" Draco asked quietly.

"I don't know but we're going to have to be quick. The polyjuice potion should be wearing off at any minute now," Hermione said.

"I'll get it," Ron said before he moved forward.

"Wait Ron!" Hermione gasped just as Ron stepped forward and triggered the alarm surrounding the vault. The loud blaring noise of the alarm caught everyone by surprise and Hermione scowled. "Ronald!"

"I didn't know the alarm was there," Ron protested.

"Great, what are we going to do now? It won't be long before the police arrive," Draco said pulling his wand out before quickly casting a silencing charm that would prevent anyone not in the current area from hearing the alarm. "There, that'll prevent anyone else from hearing the alarm but I'm sure the police still know."

"Then get the diadem and let's get the bloody hell out of here," Harry said urgently.

Ron nodded before he quickly climbed up the pile of jewels and grabbed the diadem. He then slid the rest of the way down and hurried over to join them. Hermione and Harry closed the door before casting a locking charm before they jogged after Ron and Draco as the two of them ran toward the staircase.

The sound of sirens came to them and Hermione glanced at them as they came top a stop near the first floor of the tower. It was at that moment that the effects of the polyjuice potion faded away and the four friends obtained their original faces. It was also at that moment that the ghostly form of Luna's Patronus, a rabbit, appeared before them, hopped around toward the back of the first floor, and disappeared.

"Come on," Harry said before he jogged after the rabbit with Ron, Hermione and Draco jogging quickly after them as the sirens grew closer. Ron was holding the diadem closest to him and Hermione pointed her wand at the diadem before casting a Notice-Me-Not charm on it as they arrived at a locked back door.

"_Alohamorra!_" Harry said casting the spell before opening the door and the four friends piled out of the Tower. They were behind the tower and Hermione knew they would have to take the long way to get back to the outskirts where they left their brooms without being noticed.

"Do you have the diadem?" Neville asked walking over to join them with Luna and Ginny just behind him.

"Yeah, Ron has it and I cast a Notice-Me-Not charm on it," Hermione said tucking her wand away. "Let's get going."

The others nodded before following Hermione as she quickly led the way away from the Tower. They had to take a detour because the police had arrived and were looking through the tower for the ones who triggered the alarm. The seven friends continued to run down the alleyways leading toward the main streets of Muggle London and toward the outskirts.

It was also then that a blasting curse suddenly slammed into the building in front of them and a familiar insane cackle caused all seven friends to pale considerably and duck down another alley. Hermione peered out of the alley in time to find Bellatrix LeStrange, letting out another insane cackle, send another blasting curse into another building causing it to explode. With Bellatrix were at least five other Death Eaters and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if Snape was among the Death Eaters.

Screams of panic sounded immediately as the muggles attempted to escape the onslaught of spells from Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters and Hermione caught sight of one Death Eater, standing at the rear of the group, not participating in the raid. She realized instantly that that Death Eater had to be Snape for the Death Eater, while he did contribute some spells to the raid, also did his best to help the muggles escape. Hermione had to admit that Snape was very good at keeping his cover while at the same time helping the muggles.

"Snape's here with them," she whispered to Harry as her friend stepped to her side.

"How many are there besides him?" Harry murmured.

"Including Bellatrix, five."

Draco was as pale as a sheet of paper and Hermione was beginning to worry that the blonde wizard would faint. She, like everyone, knew that Voldemort and the other Death Eaters were going to go after Draco for betraying them and deciding not to join the Death Eaters.

Another blasting curse slammed into the building that Hermione was currently leaning against and she and Harry, who was still at her side, were sent flying into the wall of the building Bellatrix destroyed first when she arrived. Ron had his wand out as did Neville, Ginny and Luna but Harry cautioned them with a shake of his head.

"We can't let them know we're here especially since we have the diadem."

"We should try to get Ron to safety first since he's holding the diadem," Hermione murmured quietly as another spell slammed into the building and the friends turned around before jogging away. They quickly ducked down another street just as another reddish spell went flying at them from further up the street. The Death Eaters had split up and now three Death Eaters were on this street while the other three were on the street they had just left.

"_Protego!_" Draco shouted and the shield charm immediately appeared blocking the red curse.

"Traitor!" one of the Death Eaters sneered and Hermione recognized that voice. Considering how white Draco went, he recognized that voice as well and quickly shouted out a spell that slammed into the Death Eater. The spell had caught him off guard but only sent him flying back a few feet.

"Come on, run!" Harry shouted and the seven friends immediately started running as rapidly as they possibly could with the three Death Eaters quickly rushing after them. Spells began to fly back and forth between the Death Eaters and the DA Club leaders and Hermione had a hard time tossing a spell and keep running.

Luna was starting to lag behind as she tossed yet another spell but a repelling charm sent her flying into the building. Draco and the rest of the friends whirled around when they noticed they were missing someone and Hermione gasped in horror when she noticed the Death Eaters were cornering Luna.

"Luna!" Neville gasped. "_Stupefy!_"

The Death Eater easily blocked the spell curling his lip into a sneer. "Nice try, Longbottom," he spat before he pointed his wand at Luna. "Looks like you'll be coming with us, girl. _Stupefy!_"

"_Protego!_" Draco barked out tossing the spell quickly before dashing forward and holding the shield charm in front of Luna and himself as he dashed to Luna's side. The Death Eater that was his father took a step back with a sneer on his face. Hermione gazed at Draco for a long moment. _What are you doing, Draco?_ She thought worriedly.

* * *

><p>Draco helped Luna to her feet before pushing her toward their friends. "Go, run!" he ordered.<p>

"But what about you?" Luna protested.

"Don't worry about me. Get out of here. You have to get Ron out of here!"

Luna nodded before she ran off after her friends and Draco dashed after them dropping the shield charm but managing to cast it again to avoid the curse that his father had sent flying at him. The seven friends continued running and Draco noticed that Hermione, Harry and Neville were dropping back to join Luna and Draco while Ginny and Ron were taking the lead. Draco knew that the important thing would be to get Ron, who held the diadem in his arms, out of there as quickly as possible.

Another spell went flying at them sending them flying backwards a few steps before Lucius glared at the friends before observing Ron who was running ahead of everyone. Draco swore when he realized his father had caught on to what they were doing. "The Weasley brat has something. That's why his bloody friends are trying to protect him. Get him!"

The Death Eaters immediately surged forward casting spell after spell at Ron and Draco knew that they wouldn't be able to stop the onslaught of curses especially if they were still running. He whirled around before facing his father and shouting, "Keep running."

"Draco, what are you doing?" Harry exclaimed.

"Just go!"

"Draco…"

"GO!" Draco all but shouted as he cast a quick shield charm to stop his father's spell.

The rest of his friends seemed to slow down and Draco noticed that Harry and Hermione both looked worried and reluctant. "But Draco…" Harry began as he cast a repelling charm at the three Death Eaters and Hermione cast a Jelly Legs hex at one of the Death Eaters causing him to collapse.

"Get out of here, Potter!" Draco barked out angrily glaring at his friends and failing to notice that his father had just cast a stunning spell at him. The stunning charm hit him and Draco collapsed on the ground stunned.

Harry started forward but Hermione grabbed his arm. "We have to get out of here, Harry," she said.

"But Draco…"

"…wouldn't want us to stay and get captured too! Come on, we all know _he _wants you and Draco wouldn't want you to stay here. Let's go!" With that, Hermione dragged Harry away and the two of them fled.

"Go after them," Lucius ordered the Death Eater who had collapsed after casting a canceling charm on him to cancel the hex. The Death Eater took off running while Lucius sent a quick spell in the air alerting the other Death Eaters before pointing his wand at Draco.

"_Petrificus totalus_," he said and Draco was instantly petrified. He was barely aware of the other Death Eaters appearing including his godfather although he couldn't move his head and so couldn't figure out which Death Eater was his godfather.

"Let's go," Lucius said flatly.

"Can I not play with him first, Lucius?" Bellatrix's voice asked.

"The dark lord has already given you free reign to play with him but first, let's get him back to our lord. Goyle, you take him and let's get going." Draco felt himself getting lifted into the air before Goyle turned on the spot and apparated away with a soft crack.

* * *

><p>Severus found himself battling his emotions as he gazed at his petrified godson being held in Goyle's arms as they appeared beyond the gates of Malfoy Manor. He followed the rest of his supposed allies past the gates and into the manor while Bellatrix twirled her wand in her hand eyeing Draco with positive glee in her eyes.<p>

Severus resisted the urge to grab his godson and apparate away but he knew he couldn't apparate within Malfoy Manor. The Death Eaters gathered in the entrance hall of the manor while Lucius called the dark lord. Voldemort appeared just as Goyle tossed Draco's body into the center of the group.

"We've brought my traitorous son, my lord," Lucius said bowing and Severus resisted the urge to shiver when he realized there was no remorse or sadness or fear in Lucius's eyes. There was nothing but genuine anger and determination. Narcissa joined them as well kneeling down along with the other Death Eaters even though she wasn't technically speaking a Death Eater. Severus was momentarily surprised; he had thought that Narcissa had fled Britain when Draco came to live with Severus.

_Is it possible that she was unable to get everything together in the few days since we spoke?_ He wondered silently.

He didn't know why but he had a bad feeling about Narcissa being there.

The dark lord eyed Draco's petrified body distastefully before he pointed his wand at Draco. "_Finite,_" he said and the spell was instantly cancelled leaving Draco to sit up slowly in the center of a circle of Death Eaters.

"So you have decided to side yourself with blood traitors, mudbloods and Potter," Voldemort sneered angrily.

"It's better than becoming a twisted murderer like you, Voldemort," Draco spat back and Severus had to admire his godson's courage to speak thus to the dark lord.

"You dare speak in such a way to our lord," Bellatrix shrieked from Voldemort's side. "_Crucio!_"

Draco collapsed on the ground and a shrill scream of pain escaped his slips as he writhed in agony. Bellatrix, given permission with a single nod from Voldemort, stepped forward and kept the curse on Draco's body and Draco continued to scream. His godson's screams of pain were like knives in Severus's skin and gut and he had to grip his hands into fists to keep from breaking his cover at the moment. The Order of the Phoenix needed him, his adopted son needed him.

And yet he found that it was extremely hard to watch his godson get tortured by Bellatrix LeStrange and not be able to do anything about it.

After several long minutes of holding the curse on Draco, Voldemort finally said, "Bellatrix, enough!" and Bellatrix retracted the curse.

"Now then," Voldemort hissed glaring disdainfully at Draco's weak body as the blonde nearly sixteen year old boy struggled to get into a better position than on the floor. "Since you will not join me, you will die." He pointed his wand at Draco and Severus could see what was going to happen next.

Narcissa could as well.

The bad feeling came back full force.

Narcissa gazed at Severus and Severus could read the emotions on her face and could almost hear what she was not saying out loud. He started to do anything to warn her but it was too late.

"_Avada kedavra!_" Voldemort shouted.

"No!" Narcissa screamed dashing forward before throwing herself in front of Draco and the curse slammed into Narcissa's body killing her instantly.

"Mother!" Draco screamed eyes wide with shock.

Severus knew what he had to do. _Screw my bloody cover,_ Severus thought as he pulled the phoenix pendant out from beneath his robe and dashed forward before pulling Draco into his arms and shouting, "_Portus!_"

"Traitor!" Voldemort shrieked but whatever curse he sent at Severus didn't connect as the portkey was activated and Severus and Draco were instantly whisked away to land with a _thump_ in Albus's office.

Albus, Minerva, Black and Lupin who were currently in the office leapt up with a gasp of surprise but Severus didn't waste no time. "Call Poppy," he ordered easing his shocked godson onto his back.

Wasting no time, Minerva dashed to Albus's floo while Albus moved forward. "What happened?" he asked.

"For one, my spying days are over," Severus said firmly waving his wand over Draco's body in a brief diagnosis spell before swearing blistering curses out loud as the results came back. He knew that Draco was too shocked at having witnessed his mother's death to bother acknowledging the curses that Severus was saying.

Severus touched the green pendant that hung just beneath the phoenix shaped portkey he had just used but was relieved to find that it wasn't burning, which meant Harry was all right for the moment. "Black, Lupin. This once, I'll let one of you mangy mutts into my house. Harry might be heading either to Grimmauld's Place or Prince Manor," he said with a glance at Black and Lupin, the first of whom was watching everything with huge eyes.

"Do as he says," Albus said and Black and Lupin quickly made their way over to the fireplace. Black floo traveled to Grimmauld's Place while Lupin, after Severus gave him the password, went to Prince Manor.

"Draco?" Severus whispered gazing at his godson who was still shocked just as Poppy ran into the office and immediately took charge of the situation. She waved her wand over Draco murmuring the diagnosis spell under her breath before she gasped.

"His nerves are badly damaged and he's in shock," she said.

"What happened to him guaranteed that," Severus said. "He suffered under the Cruciatus Curse for several minutes and then he went into shock after…" He didn't finish his statement for he didn't want his godson to relieve witnessing his mother's death yet again.

It was just another death to be added to the long list of unnecessary deaths caused by the dark lord.

"What do you mean your spying days are over, Severus?" Albus asked finally.

"I had to break my cover, Albus," Severus said. "I couldn't just stand by and allow the dark lord to kill Draco. Draco's my godson and I do care for him as much as I care for Harry and I would not stand by and allow him to die. So I broke my cover to rescue Draco."

Albus nodded slowly. "I suppose that was to be expected, Severus," he said finally.

"It would have happened sooner or later, Albus," Severus replied. His voice grew dark as he added, "I did it because I have no desire for Voldemort to kill someone else I care about." A single name crossed his mind with those words. _Lily._

"Severus, do you have the Anti-Cruciatus potion?" Poppy asked.

"I believe I have some in my quarters," said Severus standing up before he floo traveled back to his quarters to grab the potion and then reappeared with a vial of the Anti-Cruciatus potion in his hand. He walked over to kneel beside Draco before helping his shocked godson into a sitting position.

"You need to drink this, Draco," he said gently placing the vial beneath Draco's lips.

Draco slowly drank the potion and Severus capped the vial before placing it on the ground beside him as he held Draco as the potion took effect. Draco was still in shock and Severus did the only thing he could do at the moment. He gently wrapped his arms around his godson and held him giving him what comfort he could at the moment.

"He will recover but it will take time since his nerves were damaged due to prolong exposure to the curse," Poppy said putting her wand away. "Just give him that potion again tomorrow and perhaps again the following day until he shows signs of recovering without the potion. We don't want to give him too much of the potion."

Severus nodded just as the floo flared to life and Lupin stepped into the office. "Harry and five of his friends arrived at Prince Manor, Severus," he said. "They're worried about Draco and Harry's also asking for Albus to join them. It has something to do with something Ron Weasley hid just beyond the wards."

Severus could readily guess what the thing was for he knew that the horcrux would never have made it past the wards. "I think we'd better go," he said waving his wand to banish the mask he had taken off of his face upon arriving in the headmaster's office. He was still wearing his Death Eater robes but he resolved to take them off the instant he returned to Prince Manor.

"You'd best alert Black," he said to Lupin. "Albus, we should head over to Prince Manor. Whatever Mr. Weasley hid beyond the wards has to be evil or dark magic for the wards to prevent him from entering the grounds with it in his possession."

Albus nodded and Severus gently lifted his still shocked godson in his arms and walked over to the floo before he and Albus floo traveled to Prince Manor.

* * *

><p>Harry was pacing in the living room of Prince Manor and he glanced up sharply when the floo flared to life. Snape stepped out into the living room with Draco in his arms and he was followed by Headmaster Dumbledore. Harry immediately ran over to join Snape while Luna, Neville, Ginny, Ron and Hermione stood up quickly from where they were sitting on the couch in the room.<p>

"What happened?" Harry asked.

Snape grimaced. "Bellatrix, that's what," he said softly shifting his grip on Draco before gently placing Draco on the couch and summoning a potion that he gently placed beneath Draco's lips. "Swallow it, Draco," he murmured softly.

Draco slowly drank the potion and Harry frowned before glancing at his guardian. "What potion was that, Severus?"

"An Anti-Shock potion," Snape replied. "After what happened with Draco today, I felt he needed it."

"What happened? I only saw him getting stunned by Malfoy before Hermione dragged me away after Draco yelled at me to leave."

Snape gently placed the vial on the table before standing up as Draco rested on the couch. "The potion will take a few minutes to kick in so while we're waiting, let's go find that particular object that Mr. Weasley brought with him."

"I couldn't bring it in here so I hid it just before I entered the wards," Ron said before he led the way out of the house and the rest of the friends, except for Luna, followed him out of the house. They walked past the wards and Severus's wand fell into his hand just in case although he doubted he would need it. Ron knelt down before he retrieved the diadem and handed it to Dumbledore whose eyes widened.

"You found yet another horcrux?" he said surprised.

"I think there're only two left now but I'm not sure," Harry said.

"We took care of the journal already in second year," Hermione said as Dumbledore walked off to destroy the horcrux. "And we've taken care of three of the four items of the founders."

Snape nodded. "I am absolutely positive that the final horcrux is Nagini," he said.

"Nagini?"

"The dark lord's cobra familiar. I haven't seen her in a long time so I think that dark lord knows his horcruxes are getting destroyed and so is keeping his last horcrux safe."

"That leaves Salazar's Locket as the last horcrux to find before Nagini," a familiar voice whispered and everyone turned to the source of it to find a very pale Draco slowly making his way over to join them.

Snape immediately went to Draco's side and put an arm around his godson's shoulders and Draco leaned against him almost self-consciously, Harry noticed. "Yes, Salazar Slytherin's locket is the last one to find besides Nagini," he said.

"But where could the locket be?"

"Severus said that Voldemort informed them that all the horcruxes had been moved from their former positions," Dumbledore said walking over to join them. "Perhaps we can ask Sirius for it appears Regulus is the one that moved all the horcruxes somehow."

Snape nodded in reluctant agreement.

"What happened, Severus?" Harry couldn't help but ask knowing for a fact that something was wrong.

"I will explain everything when we get inside."

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: bet you weren't expecting that**

**Darth: I sure wasn't**

**Severus: neither was I**

**Draco: me neither**

**Harry: I didn't either**

**Voldy: TRAITOR!**

**Draco: YOU KILLED MY MUM! (Leaps into Mace's Mustang and runs Voldy over)**

**Voldy's Ghost: that was mean!**

**Severus: you killed my godson's mother! (Grabs Ice the Ghost Stabbing Sword and stabs Voldy)**

**Death: I DON'T WANT HIM!**

**Severus: (laughs) in the next chapter, we'll hear a brief outline of what just happened in this chapter, Draco will finally get a chance to cry and so much more**

**Blaze: (laughs) so please review and I will post chapter thirty three as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon **


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

**Chapter Thirty Three**

Severus sat down beside Draco with his arm around his godson's shoulders in the living room. Harry sat on his other side while the rest of Harry's friends sat down on the couch and chair in the living room. Albus decided to leave them alone and so disappeared through the floo while Severus struggled to decide where he wanted to start. "I suppose I can start from when we arrived back at Malfoy Manor," he said.

"Malfoy Manor?" Ron asked.

"Lucius brought Draco there after he captured him," Severus explained. "There, the dark lord appeared and gave Bellatrix free reign so Bellatrix tortured Draco with the Cruciatus Curse."

Harry shuddered as if he was remembering what happened after the third task of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Then…" Severus was silent for a long moment as he thought about how best to proceed. He knew that his godson's friends would want to know why Draco was so in shock but he was unsure if he should tell them of what happened after that particular event.

"Just tell them, Uncle," Draco whispered softly.

Severus gazed at his godson. "All right," he said. "The dark lord decided to kill Draco but Draco's mother wouldn't let him. When the dark lord cast the killing curse, his mother…leapt in front of the curse and took it herself."

Gasps of shock and sadness echoed throughout the living room.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Luna whispered quietly gazing at Draco with surprise in her gray eyes.

Tears appeared in Draco's eyes and Severus could almost see him relieving the scene yet again. That was why he wasn't all too surprised when Draco started to sob hysterically. Severus put his arm around his godson's shoulders and Draco turned before burying his face into Severus's chest and continued to cry.

When Draco stopped crying, he moved away from Severus. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

"Why are you sorry? Everyone is entitled to cry over something like this," Severus said gently. He remembered how he cried when he found his beloved Lily's stone cold body in her home in Godric's Hollow.

"That must have been horrible," Ron said shaking his head.

"I'm so sorry, Draco," Hermione said gently.

Luna moved over to kneel beside the couch and gently placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "I remember feeling the same way when my mother died," she whispered softly.

"I don't even remember my mother," Harry murmured.

Severus put his other arm around Harry as the familiar surge of guilt went through him as he remembered Lily and his role in her death. Luna sat down beside Draco before putting an arm over his shoulders as if attempting to comfort him. Neville narrowed his eyes as he watched the scene but he didn't say anything in response.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Draco asked. "I can't very well stay with my father."

"You are always welcomed to stay here with me, Draco," Severus said. "You are my godson and I am sure your mother would prefer that I take custody of you then leave you in the hands of your father who would just stand by and allow the dark lord to kill you."

"But how are we supposed to do that?"

"I'll talk to Albus. I'm sure he can pull some strings to get me custody of you without your father's consent if staying with your father endangers your life."

Draco nodded in reply before he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'm going to my room," he murmured getting to his feet and Severus nodded before watching his godson slowly make his way toward the staircase. Luna jogged to his side before gently hugging him and stepping back to allow the blonde boy make his way up the stairs.

"Will he be all right?" asked Harry.

"It'll take time for him to get over it, Harry, he's in shock," said Severus.

Harry's eyes clouded. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left him."

"It's not your fault, Harry," Ginny snapped before Severus could say anything, her blue eyes flashing.

"But…ow!" Harry glared at Ron who had slapped him upside the head.

"It's not your fault, mate," Ron said firmly. "So quit blaming yourself. Draco knew what he was doing and he knew of what would happen if he couldn't get away but he still did it."

_Ah great, it sounds like my godson might be exhibiting Hufflepuff characteristics, _Severus thought.

Harry sighed. "I guess so." He turned his gaze to Severus. "What does that mean for you?"

Severus shrugged. "I broke my cover to rescue Draco so I'm probably number two on the dark lord's list of people he wants dead," he replied.

"Who's number one? Oh right." Harry flushed as if he couldn't believe he had asked that question when the answer was obvious.

Severus's lips quirked into the beginnings of a sad smile. "I'll go check on Draco," he said before he stood up and walked toward the staircase and walked up it leaving his ward and godson and their friends alone in the living room.

* * *

><p>"Draco?"<p>

Draco glanced up tears staining his cheeks as the door opened to the room his godfather had given him. "Come in," he called softly wiping the tears from his cheeks.

The door opened and his godfather walked into the room before moving to sit beside the blonde wizard and put an arm around his shoulders. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.

Draco gazed at his hands. "I just can't believe she's gone," he murmured. "She was the one that helped me through everything; she loved me unconditionally; she went out of her way to convince me to never follow the dark lord; she, like you, provided me with comfort when I needed it. And now she's gone."

"I know, Draco. I know how it feels to lose someone I love," Snape said quietly and Draco could see quiet sadness in the depths of his obsidian eyes.

"Who?" Draco couldn't help but ask.

Snape gazed through the window of the room as if he was watching some event in the past. "Harry's mother, Lily," he said finally. "We were best friends but we grew apart after I called her a 'mudblood'. She forgave me and then named me Harry's unofficial godfather. I loved her and I lost her so I know what you are going through."

Draco gazed at his godfather before he gently hugged his godfather. Usually, Snape didn't care for being hugged but he let Draco hug him and offered a hug in response. Draco wasn't used to being hugged by anyone but his godfather and his mother and he found himself glad that at least his godfather was still alive.

"I would like to give your mother a proper funeral, Draco," Snape said softly. "But I doubt my presence would be welcomed much in Malfoy Manor. I'll at least figure out where she's buried so we can visit her grave."

Draco nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Severus," he said before tears welled up in his eyes as he thought about the last time he saw his mother; flying in front of him and getting hit with the Killing Curse and crashing into the ground lifeless.

"Don't think about it, Dragon," Snape murmured softly using the nickname that only he and Draco's mother used when speaking with him.

"I'll try," Draco said softly before his stomach growled breaking into the moment and he flushed in embarrassment.

Snape laughed softly. "Come on, Dragon," he said. "Let's get you something to eat before Weasley eats everything in my kitchen."

Draco laughed quietly at that before he stood up and the two of them walked out of the bedroom. The two of them walked down the stairs before heading into the kitchen where Harry and their friends were already gathered. Harry glanced up. "How are you, Draco?" he asked.

"Better," Draco admitted walking over to the refrigerator and pulling out some snacks before sitting at the table. "Uncle Severus is going to find out where my mother's being buried so we can visit her grave. Even if he doesn't like that I betrayed him, my father did love my mother and I'm sure he'll give her a proper funeral."

"I believe he will as well," Snape agreed. "I'll call Molly and let her know the two of you are here. Your mother will probably be glad you're safe." He walked out of the kitchen and made his way to the floo while Draco started eating while trying to push the image of his mother's lifeless body out of his mind.

* * *

><p>After the dark lord and his loyal Death Eaters left Malfoy Manor, the first of whom was fuming with fury at Severus's betrayal and the latter of whom had missions to take care of, Lucius Malfoy slowly made his way to his wife's motionless side. Even though he was a stickler for pure blood superiority and wasn't too happy that his son would not join him and sided with Potter, blood traitors and mudbloods, Lucius did still love him and he did love his wife.<p>

Lucius closed his eyes to stop the tears that had appeared in his eyes from falling as realization hit him. He felt as if he was a horrible father; how could he condemn his own son, his heir, to death? Lucius did not know.

_Damn it all,_ Lucius thought angrily as he gathered his wife's lifeless body into his arms and gazed into her lifeless blue eyes before gently closing them. _I should have listened to her when she insisted I was not like Bellatrix or the other Death Eaters and that I really did love my son but I ignored her. How could I have been so stupid?_

Lucius closed his gray eyes; he was sure that his wife's sudden death had been what finally caused him to see reality for what it was and finally showed him that he had been on the verge of losing his son forever.

_ Damn it. Draco's mother died because of me, because I let him get tortured and nearly killed, because she acted like a mother while I did not. Draco will never forgive me for this, _Lucius thought quickly wiping the tears that were starting to fall from his eyes.

_I'm a horrible father, _he thought.

He gently stood up before holding his wife's body close to him and walked away with it. It would take him a couple of days to get everything situated but he was determined to give his wife a proper funeral even if he was probably going to be the only one who will be attending. He wondered if he could get word to Draco but he doubted that Severus would let anything that Lucius had written within his home.

Severus. Lucius's best friend acted quick and without thought for his own life. Severus acted more like a father than Lucius ever did when Draco was faced with certain death. Lucius closed his eyes. _Cissy's death and Severus's betrayal opened my eyes to what it was I was about to let happen. I am such an idiot!_ Lucius thought. He wanted to hit himself in the head like his old house elf, Dobby, used to do whenever he got into trouble.

Gazing at Narcissa's body that he held close in his arms, Lucius said softly, "I am terribly sorry, love. How could I have been so stupid? How could I just stand by and let the dark lord nearly kill Draco? If it hadn't been for you and Severus, Draco would be dead. I'm a horrible father."

Closing his eyes, Lucius let a single tear slide down his cheek before he closed his eyes and prepared to contact some people to the arrangements for his wife's funeral.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat beside Ron in her temporary room with Draco, Luna, Ginny, Neville and Harry sitting around the room. The Order of the Phoenix had called an emergency meeting to discuss Severus's cover being blown, Narcissa Malfoy's death and several other immediate problems. Fred and George, as they were of age, were attending the meeting as was Bill Weasley with his new friend, Fleur Delacour from the Triwizard Tournament the year before last.<p>

Draco had been silent the entire trip to Grimmauld's Place and Hermione worried for her friend. Then, she figured she would be in the same boat if one of her parents had been killed before her very eyes. Luna sat beside Draco with an arm around his shoulders while everyone else was silent thinking about everything that happened in recent days.

"I'm sorry, Draco," Harry said finally.

Draco turned slightly haunted gray eyes to the dark haired boy. "It's not your fault, Harry."

"If you had never come with me then your mother would never have died."

"I made my own choice, Harry. I went with you because I wanted to help destroy the bastard and you know that."

"None of this is your fault, Harry," Ginny said placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Yeah, mate, we all knew the consequences when we decided to go with you but we still went with you," Ron added.

"So don't blame yourself for our decision and for being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Hermione added.

Harry sighed before nodding. "That's what Sev said too, that I shouldn't blame myself for matters that were beyond my control," he said. He shook his head before gazing around the room.

"Where did Sirius say was Regulus's room?" Draco asked suddenly to diffuse the somber moment.

"It's the first room on the next floor," Hermione said. "I remember passing it when Sirius gave me this room. Why?"

"If we're going to find the locket then that might be the best place to start looking."

"Sirius doesn't know you're going after these horcruxes, does he?"

Harry shook his head. "Sev and Professor Dumbledore agreed that he'd just be worrying himself to death if he learned what I was doing. I would tell him but I don't want to draw more people into this conflict than I have to. I want these horcruxes destroyed but I don't want anyone else to die."

"They're adults, they can take care of themselves. Perhaps we should just leave the last two horcruxes to the adults and go on with our lives," Draco reminded him.

Harry's eyes flashed. "You don't understand," he snapped. "This war has concerned me from the very beginning. My parents _died _to protect me. I need to make sure Voldemort is destroyed once and for all. I need to make sure my parents' deaths weren't in vain. Voldemort and I started this almost fifteen years ago and I want to be the one to finish it."

"You're not even sixteen yet, Harry," Snape's voice sounded and Hermione glanced up to find the pale Potions Professor standing in the doorway to the room. "This shouldn't be your fight."

Harry gazed at his guardian. "But it is, Sev, and you know it is. We only have two more horcruxes to find. That's it. Two more," he said softly before he closed his eyes. "I will do whatever I must to prevent more people from dying."

"You can't expect to finish this on your own and I, for one, am not letting you do it by yourself. I told you when we went to get the ring that I was with you, mate, and I still am," Ron said firmly.

"As am I," Hermione said.

"I am as well," Draco said softly. Neville, Luna and Ginny nodded their heads in agreement with Draco's words.

"Foolish Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Slytherins," Snape said shaking his head and Hermione couldn't tell if Snape meant it as an insult or not. There was no telling when it came to the impassive Potions Professor whose years as a spy had wiped all emotion from his face.

Harry sighed. "I've told you this before, you guys, if you want to back out then you can," he said.

"No, we're with you to the end," Draco said firmly and Hermione and the others nodded in agreement while Snape rolled his eyes and let out a long sigh.

Harry stood up before walking to Snape's side and gently hugging him catching the former spy off guard before Snape gently hugged the boy back. Harry stepped back. "Do you remember what you said after we found the ring? About how we would be enemies throughout this entire quest?"

Snape nodded.

"It looks like that won't be happening. You will help us, won't you?"

Snape's lips quirked in the beginnings of a smile. "Of course, brat. How else am I going to prevent you all from getting yourselves killed?" he asked not unkindly raising his eyebrows.

Harry chuckled softly as did the rest of his friends although Hermione noticed Draco's chuckle seemed a bit forced. Luna hugged Draco, providing him with comfort and she murmured something Hermione was too far away to hear. Draco closed his eyes before turning and pressing his face into Luna's neck and started to sob softly.

"I doubt he's ever going to forget what happened to his mother," Neville said softly moving to sit beside Hermione and Ron.

"Who would?" Ron replied equally as softly.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was the heart-wrenching chapter thirty three. It took me a while to finish the chapter because I wanted to portray Draco and Lucius's grief well**

**Darth: Lucius's grief? He's an evil bastard**

**Blaze: here's my explanation: Lucius believed that purebloods were superior to others and didn't like that Draco helped and was friends with Harry, Hermione and Ron. He never wanted his son to die; he just wanted his son to learn to follow the dark lord. However, he was blinded by his desire to raise a perfect pureblood son who would find himself in a glorious future ruled by Voldemort where no muggles or muggleborns are tainting everything. Seeing Narcissa die before his eyes saving Draco opened Lucius's eyes to the fact that Draco was **_**his only son**_** and he had been about to stand by and allow **_**his only son**_** die. I hate to make it that Lucius could only open his eyes to the truth **_**after **_**his wife died but I felt it was necessary.**

**Darth: why did you tell us that?**

**Blaze: I'm not sure if I explained it well enough when I was in Lucius's point of view so I decided to elaborate just in case no one got what I was trying to say**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: in the next chapter, a week later, a visit to Narcissa's grave and another place and a clue that may or may not lead to the second to last horcrux.**

**Darth: Chapter Thirty Four shall be posted as soon as Blaze possibly can but she doubts it'll be anytime soon but reviews, as always, are much appreciated**


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

**By the way, Draco is sixteen now. I didn't know his birthday until I checked online and I'm too lazy to fix it. Also, Narcissa is different than she is in canon and I just picked a random date for her birthday. Probably a bit late to put this but oh well.**

**Chapter Thirty Four**

_One week later_

_[Narcissa Black Malfoy_

_March 13, 1955 - July 7, 1996_

_A wonderful wife and mother.]_

Lucius paused in writing the words on his wife's gravestone before he settled on what he had written so far. He had gotten out of going on a mission for the dark lord simply by insisting he still had to finish the mission he had started earlier. He had gotten hit with the Cruciatus Curse for that but Lucius's lie had stood and the dark lord let him go back to his supposed mission. He knelt beside the grave before closing his eyes and transfiguring nearby rocks into a bouquet of red roses, his wife's favorite and the rose that meant love, that he gently placed on the grave.

"I hope wherever you are, you'll find it in yourself to forgive me, Cissy," Lucius said softly his eyes still closed as a tear fell from beyond the closed eyelids.

He didn't know how long he sat there with the sun's unrelenting rays of light beating down on him and the summer breeze buffeting him on all sides. The sun was still rising in the early morning sky by the time Lucius roused himself and slowly stood up wiping the tears from his cheeks.

_I was such an idiot. How could I have just let this happen? What kind of father am I? Just standing by and allowing the dark lord try to kill my son? I didn't even try to help him. Cissy gave her life for him and Severus saved him. What did I do? Bloody nothing! I don't deserve to call myself a father! _Lucius thought as he opened his eyes and gazed at the grave marking his wife's final resting place.

"Cissy, forgive me," he whispered before he turned on the spot and apparated away with a soft _crack._

He reappeared just outside the wards of Malfoy Manor and slowly walked into the empty manor. Voldemort and the other Death Eaters were out attempting to complete mission and terrorize muggles. Since it wasn't likely they would return for a couple of hours, Lucius had time to write a letter to his one time best friend.

He only hoped Severus would read it.

* * *

><p>The owl landed on the opened windowsill and Severus glanced at it before narrowing his eyes when he recognized the owl as Malfoy's. He narrowed his eyes; Lucius didn't know where Prince Manor was but he did know where Spinner's End was and Severus had made it so owls would know that if the letter was important then they would come to the manor. Owls were smart. If they wanted someone to have the letter and that person was not at the printed address then they would find that person.<p>

The owl hopped on to the table before dropping the letter and Severus gave the owl a treat before gazing at the letter as if it was a venomous viper. Casting several charms to make sure the letter didn't have any jinxes or dangerous curses imprinted on it, Severus found nothing and he frowned.

Lucius was a die hard Death Eater and he was probably pretty upset to find that Severus was a traitor. Severus had been expecting curses or something to show how Lucius hated him because he betrayed the dark lord but he found nothing.

He cast another charm just to be on the safe side before he reached for the envelope and opened it. He pulled out the letter before reading it.

_Severus,_

_ Please hear me out before you throw this letter away. I don't blame you for rescuing Draco. I should have done the same thing but I was too blinded by my desire to have a perfect pureblood heir. Cissy's death opened my eyes and now I find myself wishing I had listened to her._

_ Cissy tried to tell me when I learned Draco was friends with Potter, Granger and the Weasleys that he didn't want to follow the dark lord and I should respect his desires. She attempted to convince me that pureblood was not everything and that Draco would never be perfect because no one was perfect. She also tried to convince me that the dark lord was not looking out for my best interests but I ignored her. I wanted nothing more than to keep the power and influence I gathered because of the dark lord, I wanted a perfect pureblood son, I wanted everything that the dark lord seemed to be offering us._

_ I lost all faith in the dark lord, Severus, the instant he took my beloved wife's life away from me. I should have listened to her and yet I didn't. I hate myself for just standing by and allowing my crazy sister in law torture my only son and I hate myself for doing nothing while the dark lord prepared to kill Draco. I should have done something; I should have done what you and Cissy did for him but I didn't and I hate myself for it._

_ Whether you believe me or not, that's up to you but I hope that you can find it in your heart to at least believe me. I know you'll never forgive me for what I did, or didn't do I should say, for my son. I can't forgive myself._

_ Will you please tell Draco that I still love him? I don't know if he'll believe me but can you tell him, please?_

_ Also, Narcissa's buried in the Shatter Brook Cemetery__*****__ in Yorkshire. I thought you and Draco should know that so that you two can pay your respects to her. Draco has the right to see his mother's grave and say his last goodbyes to her._

_ I doubt it'll ever happen but I suppose I can only hope that you and Draco will forgive me._

_ Lucius Malfoy_

_ Head of the Malfoy House_

Severus placed the letter down more surprised than he would care to admit. He could honestly say that he could sense the sincerity in Lucius's words. He wondered if he would feel the same way if he had been in Lucius's position and his son was about to be killed before his very eyes. Severus never had any hard feelings toward muggleborns or muggles, his beloved Lily had been a muggleborn, but Lucius was different. Lucius was raised to hate muggles and anyone who wasn't born pureblood.

Severus knew that, at first, the only reason Lucius became his friend was to coax him into joining the dark lord because of his skills with Potions and the fact that he was a Slytherin. However, that had turned into an almost brotherly friendship. The friendship had its odds and ends, it wasn't perfect, and it most certainly wasn't entirely stable but Severus and Lucius both cherished it.

What Lucius did to his son was something that Severus would never forget. He might be able to find it in him to forgive his one time best friend but he doubted he would ever forget what Lucius put his son through. Lucius should have listened to Narcissa, as he had blatantly said in his letter. If he had then it was likely none of this would have happened.

Severus summoned a piece of parchment and a quill before he placed it on the parchment before he wrote a short letter in response.

_Lucius,_

_I can honestly say that I will never forget everything you put my godson, your _only son_, through by leaving him in the hands of your crazy bitch of a sister in law and then Voldemort. I hate that Cissy's death was the only way you could open your eyes to what it was you were doing to your only son. I did what I had to do to protect Draco's life as did Narcissa and you did nothing, as you said in your letter. _

_ I will give Draco your message but it will be up to him if he forgives you or not. I am of two minds about whether or not I should forgive you._

_ I do thank you for providing me with the location of Cissy's grave however. As you said in your letter, Draco deserves to see his mothers' grave and say his last goodbyes._

_ Severus_

Severus folded the letter before sticking it into an envelope he had summoned before spelling it to where Lucius was the only one that could open it and read it. He didn't trust Lucius to not give the letter to Voldemort even if the letter would give nothing away. He would rather be safe than sorry.

He handed the letter to the owl who chirped before spreading his wings and flying out of the manor.

Draco walked into the kitchen a few moments later as Severus reread Lucius's letter. Harry was just behind him rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Good morning, Sev," Harry said sitting down at the table.

"Morning Uncle," Draco said yawning before also sitting down at the table while Severus easily summoned the food that he had prepared earlier to the table.

"What's that?" Harry asked pointing to the letter Severus was holding.

"A letter."

Harry tossed Severus an 'I know that' look. "You know what I meant, Sev," he said rolling his eyes.

Severus smirked. "I know," he said. He hesitated before glancing at Draco. "I think you should read it, Draco."

Draco eyed the letter. "Who's it from?" he asked.

"If I tell you then you probably won't want to read it."

Draco seemed to hesitate before he nodded and took the letter from Severus's outstretched hand and began reading it, his eyes going wide before they filled with tears as he read the words written by his father. When he was finished, he placed the letter on the table before gazing at his plate of food tears falling from his eyes.

"How do you know what he wrote is true?" he asked. Surprisingly, there was no venom or anger in Draco's voice; there was only deep sadness and faint surprise.

"I've known your father for a long time, Draco," Severus replied causing Harry to spit out the pumpkin juice he had been drinking and start coughing in his shock.

"Breathe, Harry, breathe," he added to Harry who was struggling to get his coughing under control.

Finally, Harry managed to control his coughing. "Malfoy wrote you? Why would that…bloody idiot write you, Sev?" he asked and there was no disguising the anger in Harry's voice.

Wordlessly, Draco passed the letter across the table to Harry who took it as if it was a venomous spider and read it, eyes widening with each sentence and word he read. "Like Draco said, how do you know this is true?" he asked handing the letter back to Draco.

"As I told you, I've known Lucius for a very long time. It takes much for him to admit that he was wrong and whenever he does admit that he was wrong, I know that he is sincere. However, perhaps visiting your mother's grave would help prove that the letter is likely true," Severus said.

Draco gazed up at him. "Can we go today?" he asked softly.

"Of course, Draco."

"Can I go with, Sev?" Harry asked.

Severus nodded. "Let's finish breakfast first and then we'll head over."

* * *

><p>Shatter Brook Cemetery was located in a portion of Yorkshire where many wizards lived but was also far from the location of Malfoy Manor. It was covered with grass and grass and vines covered the older headstones while newer ones seemed to shine in the light of the sun. The cemetery seemed as though it was under a perpetual cloud of sorrow but Harry forced himself not to let that bother him as he followed Snape and Draco around the headstones. As he gazed at them, he realized that he has never seen his parents' gravestones before in his life.<p>

_Perhaps I can ask Sev to take me to Godric's Hollow after we're done here, _he thought watching as Snape led Draco toward a gleaming white headstone that looked as if it had just been placed there.

Draco knelt down beside his mother's gravestone and Harry noticed that a bouquet of roses was already lying on the bound of dirt. Draco stretched out a hand before gently tracing the words etched onto the stone with tears falling from his eyes. Snape knelt down beside his godson and Harry, feeling a bit in the way, stay where he was.

"I miss you, mother," Draco said softly. "I know you can't hear me but father wrote me. He's asking me to forgive him for being stupid and not listening to you. I don't know if I should. I guess I'll need more time to think about this. I love you, mother, and I miss you. I hope you're happy wherever you are." Draco's eyes closed and Harry found himself thinking about his parents, which caused tears to appear in his eyes.

Draco at least knew his parents but Harry never did. Voldemort took his parents from him when he was only a baby and the same monster took Draco's mother from him as well. He wiped his tears away as he watched Draco grieve for the mother he lost and he found himself saddened. The only thing he remembered about his mother was the killing curse that killed her and he didn't remember anything about his father. Draco knew his mother for much longer and so it must hurt more for him to lose the mother he knew all his life.

Draco sniffed before sitting back on his heels and gazing up at his godfather. "I think I'm ready to go now, Uncle."

Snape nodded before gently helping the blonde wizard to his feet and glancing at Harry. "Ready to go?"

Harry hesitated. "Actually, I was wondering…" Harry broke off unsure of how to broach the subject considering Harry's mother was a sore spot for Snape.

"What is it, Harry?"

Harry lowered his head. "I was wondering if we could go to Godric's Hollow before we head home. I…I just want to see my parents' grave," he said softly.

Snape was silent for a long moment before he nodded. "I haven't been there in a long time," he admitted. "But I believe you've never been there. You have the right to see your parents' grave."

Harry's eyes glimmered with relief. In spite of his guilt and his sadness at Harry's parents' death, Snape was still willing to take him there. Snape took Harry's arm and Draco's before turning and apparating to Godric's Hollow.

They appeared near the center of the community and Snape, eyes scanning the area with his wand in his hand, led the way deeper into the Hollow. "Do you want to go straight to their grave, Harry?" he asked softly.

"Actually, can I see where they lived first?" Harry asked softly.

Snape hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "It's this way," he said softly before he led the way away.

"How do you know that, Uncle?" Draco asked gazing at the Hollow with his wand in his hand.

Snape's voice was filled with unbearable sadness and pain. "I was the one that found them that night."

Harry figured that was why he sounded so sad and a tad reluctant when Harry voiced his request. The three walked side by side around the buildings before they came to a stop outside an abandoned ruined house with a plaque lying in front of it. Harry gazed at the two-story house where he had lived for only a little bit and where his parents had died.

He gazed up at it and he could see the pain glittering in Snape's obsidian eyes as he also gazed at the house where he had last seen his best friend in the worst possible way; cold and lifeless.

Not wanting to put Snape through any more pain, Harry gently touched his arm. "Can we go to the cemetery now?"

Snape shook himself from his memories and nodded before leading the way away from the house and toward the cemetery. The three wizards entered the cemetery and Snape, his keen eyes scanning the area as well, lead the way to the gravestones that marked the final resting place of Lily and James Potter.

Harry knelt down beside the gravestones almost as soon as he reached them tracing his fingers across the words written on the stone as Draco had done. He found his fingers lingering on the quote written beneath the dates marking his parents' birthdays and the day of their death.

"The last enemy to be defeated is death."

Snape had knelt down beside Harry and Harry could see tears falling from his eyes as he gazed at the gravestone. He lowered his head and Harry could barely make out the words he was whispering beneath his breath.

"Oh Lily, I am so sorry," he whispered quietly tears falling from his eyes so rapidly that Harry was faintly surprised. Never before has he seen his guardian cry as much as he was at that very moment.

He gazed at the grave before closing his eyes. "I miss you mum and you two, dad," he said softly. "Sev is taking good care of me though and I don't have to worry about the Dursleys anymore. Plus, I'm an Animagus, like you dad. I'm a dove. I really wish you were here. I miss you so much."

Snape put his arm around Harry's shoulders. "They would have been so proud of you, Harry," he said softly.

Harry gazed up at his guardian whose eyes were red from crying but there was pride in their depths as well. Harry felt tears fall from his gaze and he removed his glasses to wipe them away before he slipped them back on and leaned into his guardian's arms. The two of them remained that way for a long moment before Draco, who had been keeping watch, glanced at them.

"Someone's coming," he whispered rapidly.

Snape quickly cast a Disillusionment charm over the before guiding the three of them away from the grave. When it appeared that Snape's quick action wasn't warranted because it looked to be only a family coming to visit a family member, Snape relaxed before leading the way away.

"Why don't we go to Grimmauld's Place now?" he said softly canceling the Disillusionment charm.

"Why Grimmauld's Place?"

"I just thought you'd want to visit your mangy mutt of a godfather."

Draco chuckled at that while Harry scowled good humouredly. Snape took their arms before apparating to just outside the apartment building before leading the way into the apartment that had appeared between two apartments.

"Sirius, Professor Snape, Harry and Draco are here," Hermione called upon seeing the three enter the house and the wards around the house fell back into place. Hermione frowned when she spotted Harry and Draco. "What's the matter?"

Draco lowered his head. "I went to my mother's grave and Harry saw his parents' grave for the first time," he said softly.

Hermione's eyes glimmered with understanding.

"Harry!" Sirius moved forward before grabbing Harry in a bone crushing hug that caused him to laugh.

"Sirius," he protested.

Sirius smiled faintly before glancing at Draco. "Uh, Draco, um, I'm sorry to hear about your mother," he said clearly trying to figure out how show Draco that he was actually sorry.

"It's all right," Draco said softly.

"Has anyone thought to Tonks? Cissy was her aunt," Sirius said.

"You should probably tell her," Snape replied.

"How long do you plan on staying, Harry?" Sirius asked acknowledging Snape's word with a slight nod.

"I don't know. How long can we stay, Sev?" Harry asked turning his gaze to Snape.

Snape was silent for a long moment, eyes narrowed. "I suppose you can stay the night," he said before glancing at Draco. "Do you want to stay with them, if Black will let you, or do you want to come back to Prince Manor with me?"

Draco hesitated.

"You're welcome to stay here if you want, Draco," Sirius said and, surprisingly, he didn't sound reluctant. "Besides, I think Tonks might want to talk to you after she learns about her aunts death. She may not care much for Bella but she liked Cissy, who was the only one who actually accepted her parents."

"Mother wasn't one to let go of family just because Aunt Andromeda married a muggle," Draco admitted softly. "All right, I'll stay the night."

"All right, I'll see you tomorrow, Harry, Draco," Snape said before he left the apartment and Harry was left to get crushed in another bear hug this time given by Hermione.

"Ow, 'Mione, I'm all right," Harry protested.

Hermione chuckled. "Sorry," she said.

Harry smiled. "It's all right, 'Mione."

* * *

><p>Tonks was upset when she learned of Narcissa's death after Black told her and she closed her eyes, her hair turning a pale shade of blue to indicate her sadness. "She's really gone?" she asked softly opening her eyes.<p>

Sirius nodded and Draco, who was sitting beside his cousin, glanced at her as Tonks swallowed and a single tear cascaded from her eyes. "She was the only one of mother's sisters who actually treated me nicely. Granted, her other sister was in Azkaban most of the time I was growing up."

Lupin, who was sitting at Tonks's side, gently patted her arm and Tonks, surprising both Black and Draco, turned before sobbing quietly into Lupin's arms. The werewolf put his arm around Tonks and held her as she sobbed quietly. Black was grinning ear to ear but a stern glare from Lupin kept him from saying whatever was on the tip of his tongue.

Draco felt uncomfortable until Tonks glanced at him. "I'm very sorry about your mother, Draco," she said softly.

"Thank you," Draco replied softly before he stood up. "It's getting late. I should probably get to sleep."

Black glanced at the clock before nodding. "Good night, Draco and make sure Harry's in bed, will ya?"

Draco laughed softly. "I will." He left the dining room before making his way toward the room that he shared with Harry for the night but as he walked he found himself passing the room that belonged to Regulus's room. He kept on going, stopped and gazed at the room, surprised to find the door open.

He knew that Regulus had been the one that took most of the horcruxes and hide them, most likely dying in the process, and he wondered if a clue to where the locket is located would be in his room. Draco was sure he would get into trouble with his godfather for sorting through someone else's stuff, especially if Sirius Black told him, but he was curious.

Stepping into the room, Draco murmured, "_lumos_," and the wand lit up immediately illuminating the dust covered room. It looked as if nothing much had changed in the room except for the fact that it lacked many items. However, Draco noticed, through the dim light provided by the wand, that one of the floorboards seemed to be up as if it had been moved.

Doubting it had been moved recently, Draco edged toward it. He knew that the Black House was heavily warded but he also knew that Bellatrix could easily enter it because she was a Black by blood. That meant that if Regulus did hide something that would indicate the location of the locket then he would have had to hide it very carefully.

Since the room had been abandoned for who knew how long, Draco didn't think anyone knew that there was anything in the room. _But where would he hide it and in what? The note Hermione found had been written in Latin and she found that in a book. What could possibly be hidden in this house?_ He thought.

His silvery gray gaze went to the floorboard and he knelt down beside it before lifting it, wincing and glancing over his shoulder quickly when the board squeaked. He didn't know why but he had a feeling what he needed to find would be found in the floorboards beneath Regulus's room

He lowered his wand into the area beneath the floorboard and was surprised to find a deep hole as if it had been enlarged by an enlarging charm. "Now what am I supposed to do?" Draco said aloud as he gazed into the darkness and murmured "_lumos maxima_" and the light from his wand grew brighter illuminating the entire hole. Draco could see the bottom of the hole about two feet down and he narrowed his eyes when he spotted something glint at the bottom of the hole.

Draco put his wand into his left hand before reaching down with his right hand into the hole to grasp whatever it was that was glinting. He pulled out a locket but one that lacked the darkness that seemed to come off of the actual horcruxes. He opened it, surprised that it opened so easily, before frowning when he spotted the piece of paper within it. He pulled it out before opening it and he was surprised when only a single word was written on it.

"Kreacher?" Draco said confused.

A _pop_ sounded and Draco leapt back in surprise to find a house elf standing in front of him before his eyes went wide. "Yous not supposed to have that," he snapped. "That belongs to Master Regulus."

"It's Salazar's Locket or at least a replica, isn't it?" Draco asked putting the note back into the locket while keeping it out of the house elf's grasp.

Kreacher glared at him. "Yes," he replied. "Now give Kreacher locket back."

"But I need to know where the real one is," Draco protested.

"Kreacher not tell yous. Kreacher sworn to serve the Black Family. Kreacher cannot help a Malfoy."

"Please, Regulus must have wanted someone to find the locket," Draco protested. "The real locket is dangerous and we need to destroy it."

"Yous not a Black. Kreacher cannot, will not, tell yous."

Draco growled. "Fine," he said before he walked out of the room, still holding the locket, and Kreacher disappeared with a _pop_. He had an idea but he knew that he probably shouldn't mention the horcruxes to Sirius Black but he knew that Black would be the only one who could convince Kreacher to tell them where the real locket was located because he was a Black, even if he was disowned.

"Sirius?" Draco said walking into the dining room.

Black glanced at him. "Shouldn't you be asleep?" he asked raising his eyebrows. Draco noticed that the dining room was empty and he figured Tonks and Lupin had gone to bed.

Draco handed Black the locket. "That's a replica of Salazar's Locket, isn't it?" he asked keeping his voice neutral.

Black's eyes went wide as he read the word on the note within it before he narrowed his eyes. "Kreacher!" he called sharply.

"Master Sirius call Kreacher?" Kreacher asked popping up at Black's side.

Black held out the locket. "Regulus wrote your name on this. Why?"

"Kreacher was told to keep locket here and tell no one of the real locket's location. Kreacher was bound to obey Master Regulus and the Black Family. Kreacher was supposed to hide the truth of the locket from everyone."

"Kreacher, you need to tell me where the real locket is located," Black said firmly. Draco had edged backwards, hoping Black would forget that he was there. Luck was on his side for Black didn't seem to have noticed that Draco was still there.

"'tis located at Stonehenge, Master Sirius," Kreacher said reluctantly. "Kreacher not supposed to tell yous that. 'tis located on one of the stone lintels."

Black narrowed his eyes. "Stonehenge? All the way in Wiltshire?" he echoed.

"That's what Master Regulus told Kreacher."

"All right, Kreacher. Thank you."

Kreacher disappeared with a_ pop_ and Draco turned before leaving the room rapidly. He jogged down to the room he shared with Harry before slipping into it and lying down on his bed. He would tell both Harry and Hermione about his find in the morning.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter thirty four**

**Darth: nice**

**Blaze: yup**

**Darth: yup**

**Severus: what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: telling Harry and Hermione about the horcrux, meeting at Prince Manor, Sirius, Remus and Severus joining the DA leaders on finding the second to last horcrux and a warning from an unexpected source**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: I'm getting close to the end of this story. I have about three or four more things to take care of and then this story will be over**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: yup so please review and I'll post chapter thirty five as soon as I possibly can but I doubt I'll be anytime soon**


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

**I decided to have them meet at Grimmauld's Place instead of Prince Manor. Also, I am not sure if I put this in earlier chapters but this is just a reminder, Sirius Black was cleared of all charges before this story began.**

**Chapter Thirty Five**

Harry woke up feeling refreshed and he sat up before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He noticed that Draco was sitting up on his bed and he swung his feet off of his bed before placing them on the ground. "You're up early," he commented slipping his glasses onto his face.

Draco glanced at him. "I found out where the locket is last night," he said without preamble.

Harry's eyes went wide. "You did? Where is it?"

"Stonehenge in Wiltshire."

"How'd you find that out?"

"I overheard Black talking about it with Kreacher after I found a replica of the locket and Kreacher insisted he couldn't talk about the locket with anyone but a member of the Black family, Regulus in particular."

"Why would Regulus hide the locket at Stonehenge?"

"How should I know? It's a muggle monument so I guess he figured no one would look there," he said.

"Probably. Let's contact the others."

Harry got to his feet. "Who should we call first?"

"Why don't you contact Ron and Neville and I'll speak with Hermione and we'll contact Luna."

Harry nodded before he got to his feet. As he changed, he frowned. "We should tell Severus too. He did say he was going to go with us," he said.

Draco nodded. "Do you want to contact him or do you want me too?"

"I will."

Harry changed quickly before walking out of the room he shared with Draco before he started looking for his godfather. He found Sirius sitting in the kitchen sipping a cup of coffee while rubbing his eyes and Lupin sat across from him also sipping at a cup of coffee.

"Hey there kiddo. You're up early," Sirius commented.

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep. I was wondering, do you think it would be all right if my friends came over for a while?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes in thought. "I suppose so. What do you say, Moony?"

"It's your home, Padfoot," Lupin replied with a shrug.

"All right then. Go ahead and invite them."

"And I'm asking for Sev to come over as well."

Sirius glowered. "Fine," he said flatly clearly not liking the idea of having Snape within his house again.

Harry smiled before he turned and jogged out of the kitchen before entering the conference room where he knew the floo was located. He picked up some of the floo powder and proceeded to call the Burrow and invite Ron and Ginny over before he contacted Neville after Ron and Ginny stepped into the room.

Draco and Hermione walked into the conference at that moment and the floo flared to life before Neville entered. Harry placed a quick floo call to his guardian and Draco walked to the floo to contact Luna.

"Hello Ron, Ginny, Neville," Sirius greeted them as he walked into the conference room with Lupin just behind him.

"Hello Sirius," Ginny greeted the Animagus politely.

"So why are you here?"

"Don't be rude, Sirius," Lupin chided him.

Sirius scowled at the werewolf.

Snape stepped out of the floo at that moment and tossed a pointed glare at Sirius that Sirius gladly returned. A moment later, Luna arrived through the floo with the same dreamy expression in her eyes.

"Why are you here?" Lupin asked politely.

"Oh sure, you get mad at me when I ask that question and you just ask it again?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I asked politely."

"Shut it."

"Well," Harry hesitated. He didn't want to get his godfather and Professor Lupin into any danger but he also knew that his godfather wouldn't accept any lie that he tells him. He glanced at his guardian who merely gazed at him with a raised eyebrow as if to tell him 'it's your choice.'

"We're going to go looking for something," Harry said finally. He hesitated before adding, "at Stonehenge in Wiltshire."

"Stonehenge? You mean…" Sirius's eyes went wide. "You're going after the locket!"

"Brilliant deduction skills, Black," Snape sneered.

"You knew about this?" Sirius exclaimed.

"No but I figured that was why Harry asked his friends and myself to meet him here."

Sirius glared at the former spy. "You're actually condoning him going after the locket!"

"You know what the locket is?" Harry asked before Snape could reply.

"Dumbledore told us that it was possible a horcrux could be the locket of Salazar Slytherin," Sirius replied with a shrug still glaring at Snape who merely glared back at him with impassive eyes.

"He doesn't condone it," Harry said. "But I'm going to find that horcrux."

"Kid, shouldn't you let us adults handle this?" Sirius asked.

"No,' Harry said firmly. "Voldemort and I started this war. I am going to end it, with or without help."

Snape rolled his eyes. "Once again, Harry, you're not even sixteen yet," he said.

"Still."

"Why don't you let Moony and I go after the horcrux?" Sirius asked.

"You're the one that said you should let adults handle this, Black, so it wouldn't make sense if _you _went after the horcrux," Snape sneered.

Sirius glowered angrily at that.

"I don't even think Voldemort knows the horcrux is there," Harry said softly. "We could just go to Stonehenge, grab the locket, and take it back to Professor Dumbledore to destroy. It's a simple plan."

"When have our plans ever actually worked?" Ron asked.

Harry glowered at his friend. "Now they're going to be even less likely to let us go."

"Sorry mate."

"I won't let you go," Sirius said firmly.

"Relax, Black," Snape said flatly. "I'll be with them. It's not like they'll be handling this alone."

"If you are going, Harry, then I'm going with you," Sirius said firmly.

"No…" Harry began.

"Don't try to talk me out of it. I'm going with you."

Harry was worried; he didn't want his godfather to go with him for he was afraid that he would lose him. It was also the main reason why he wanted to go after the horcrux by himself so as not to put his friends, his guardian, Professor Lupin or his godfather in danger. However, his friends insisted on going, Snape insisted on going and, it would appear, Sirius was insisting on going as well.

Harry sighed knowing that his godfather was right; he couldn't talk him out of it. "All right," he said softly.

"I'm going with you," Lupin said.

"But…"

"Someone has to keep Paddy out of trouble," Lupin said with a shrug and a faint smile on his face.

Harry was about to protest but Snape merely said, "I would actually prefer if you two came along. I cannot make sure all seven of them don't plunge headlong into danger by myself."

"Three full grown wizards are better than one," Ron commented.

"I don't want anyone of you to get hurt though," Harry protested.

"Harry, we're not invalids. We can take care of ourselves," Snape assured him.

"And we're going with you, no matter what you say," Sirius added.

Harry wanted to protest but he knew it would do him no good. "All right," he said finally with a sigh. "So are we going to go now?"

"The sooner we go, the least likely the dark lord will discover its location when we do."

"You're still calling Voldemort the dark lord, Sev," Harry commented.

"Habit I suppose."

"Come on. Let's get going before ol' Moldyshorts finds out," Sirius said happily.

Lupin rolled his eyes and sighed at that. "Should we inform Albus first?" he asked.

"I'll write him a quick note of where we're going and that we'll send a Patronus if we need backup," Sirius said before disappearing from the conference room. He reappeared a moment letter with a parchment and quill in his hands before he wrote the quick note and placed it on the table.

"Let's go," he said.

* * *

><p>"What is the matter with you, Lucius?" Bellatrix asked Lucius as the blonde wizard gazed almost sorrowfully through the window while sipping at a cup of tea.<p>

"Nothing," Lucius said shortly masking his emotions quickly before glowering at the insane Death Eater.

"Still mourning your traitorous wife's death? My sister got what she deserved for sticking up for that mudblood caring brat," Bellatrix sneered.

Lucius resisted the urge to hex Bellatrix then and there and, instead, didn't reply. Bellatrix sat down at the table before calling one of Lucius's house elves to get her a cup of tea. The two of them drank their tea in silence while Lucius thought about his wife, his son and the biggest mistake he ever made by doing nothing while his wife sacrificed her life for her son.

_Draco must hate me,_ he thought.

At that moment, their marks burned and Bellatrix immediately got to her feet before hurrying into the conference room within the manor where the other Death Eaters were likely gathering. Severus was the only one that wouldn't show up, Lucius was sure of that, and he found himself wondering what his friend was doing.

Severus had said in his letter that he would never forget what Lucius did but he never told him if he forgave him. _I doubt Severus and Draco will both forgive me for what I did, I don't think I'll ever forgive myself._

He and Bellatrix sat down alongside the rest of the Death Eaters as Voldemort glared at them from the head of the table, their silver masks in place. He was furious that Severus, who was one of his most trusted and seemingly loyal supporters, had betrayed them in the end, that much was clear by the anger glowing in his bloody eyes.

"My horcruxes have been getting destroyed," Voldemort growled, "and the fact that I do not know where they are located does not help matters. The one, aside from Naginin, that is left is Salazar Slytherin's locket and I must find it at all costs. Now then, whoever moved my horcruxes, what would be a likely place they would hide it?"

"Someplace you would never think to look," Bellatrix offered. "Like among the mudbloods."

"Yes but where?"

"It would have to be someplace that wasn't obvious," Lucius murmured almost talking to himself but Voldemort heard him nonetheless.

"Explain, Lucius."

Lucius glanced up at the dark lord. "If whoever took your horcruxes wanted them to stay hidden then he or she would have hidden them among the mudbloods and in the last place you would think to look."

"Yes, that is possible." Voldemort narrowed his eyes. "But where?"

"A landmark maybe," Avery suggested. "Like a historical landmark."

"The idea has merits," Voldemort said eyes narrowing. "But which one?"

Lucius stayed silent as he thought about the possibilities. "I doubt the horcrux has left Britain, my lord, so we merely have to look at historical landmarks in Britain, such as Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Blackpool Tower in Lancashire, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Palace and St. Paul's Cathedral, the last three are in London, to name a few," he murmured just loud enough for the dark lord to hear.

"Yes but which one?" Voldemort demanded angrily.

"I do not know, my lord."

"_Crucio!_" Voldemort aimed the curse at Lucius and he collapsed onto the ground as the curse slammed into his body. He didn't scream, he was used to this sort of treatment, and he found that he deserved the curse; not for not knowing where the horcrux could be but for actually letting his wife die and letting Bellatrix torture and nearly kill his son.

"We will start searching at these landmarks," Voldemort decided. "Which would be the most likely one it could be placed?"

"I would, my lord, say one of the ones in London," Bellatrix said lowering her head when Voldemort turned to gaze at her.

"Very well. We shall try Buckingham Palace first," he declared before he and the rest of the Death Eaters apparated toward Buckingham Palace.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter thirty five and I decided to redo the last part**

**Darth: what will happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: the finding of the horcrux and more**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Voldy: yup**

**Harry: BLOODY IDIOT! (Slams set of steel steps on Voldy's head and stalks off)**

**Voldy: (knocked out)**

**Severus: (snickers)**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter thirty six as soon as I possibly can**


	36. Chapter Thirty Six

**Chapter Thirty Six**

Remus narrowed his eyes as he examined the gathered people. Harry was standing beside Neville while Hermione was discussing the history of Stonehenge with Ron and Ginny and Luna was standing beside Draco. Severus and Sirius were glowering at each other but, then, that wasn't anything new.

"Will you two stop that?" Remus said with a sigh.

Sirius glanced at Remus. "I still say this is stupid and we should leave the kids here," he said.

"I hate to say this, Black, but I agree with you," Severus said and it sounded as though it pained him to say those words.

"I'm shocked, you're actually agreeing with me."

Severs glared at Sirius before snorting but stayed silent.

"We're going," Harry said firmly.

Severus glowered at Harry. "Fine but don't take unnecessary risks and if I tell you to run then run," he said firmly.

Harry sighed before nodding. "All right, Sev," he said.

"I doubt Voldemort will be there," Draco said. Remus noticed Severus's flinch but everyone else ignored it. "It's very unlikely he'll know it's there."

"Very unlikely, yes, but also possible," Severus said. "Do not underestimate him."

"That's a cheery thought," Ron grunted.

"Ronald, Professor Snape knows Voldemort better than we do," Hermione said slapping Ron upside the head.

"Ow, I know he does but still," Ron protested rubbing his head.

Severus either didn't hear or decided to ignore Ron's words as he led the way out of Grimmauld's Place. "Draco and Harry will come with me," he said without glancing over his shoulder as he walked.

Sirius glowered. "Fine, Hermione, Ron and Ginny will go with me."

"Neville and Luna will go with me," Remus said quietly.

Once they were outside and past the wards, Remus gently took Luna and Neville's arms before turning on the spot and apparating away with a sharp _crack_ that distilled the air. He reappeared behind one of the upright stones of Stonehenge. He gazed around for his companions and noticed they had appeared behind the stones as well.

"Now where would it be hidden?" Harry murmured as he walked away from Severus and gazed at the upright stones.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "If I know my brother then he would have hidden it in a place no one would find it," he said.

"No need to restate the obvious, Black," Severus sneered.

Sirius glowered at Severus.

"But where?" Harry asked gazing at the tall stones. "There are so many. Is it on top of them or in them or what?"

"I'd say it's in them," Sirius said. "My brother will not want to make it obvious so he probably figured out a way to place the locket inside the stone."

"And that makes it that much harder to find," Ron grumbled.

Neville frowned as he gazed at the tall stones. "Maybe we can look at all of them when there aren't as many tourists," he said pointing to the tourists who were beginning to arrive.

"Longbottom has a point," Draco said.

"Where do we stay until then?" asked Hermione with a frown as she gazed around.

"A disillusionment charm should keep the tourists from noticing us," said Remus softly before he raised his wand and murmured a spell under his breath. He then sat down with his back resting against one of the tall stones. "Now we may as well wait."

Harry sat down on the ground beside his friends while Sirius sat beside Remus as far from Severus as he could get, Remus noticed. While they were no longer longing to kill each other, Sirius and Severus were still at odds with each other and went out of their way to avoid the other in order to prevent themselves from hexing the other. Remus knew the only reason they were restraining themselves was because of Harry.

Night couldn't have come quicker. The sun sank below the horizon and the last of the tourists left the historical landmark. Remus stood up before stretching, sitting down for so long had left his legs asleep and his back stiff, and gazing around as the rest of his companions also stood up.

"All right," he said, "I think it's time we started searching but we shouldn't do anything that could ruin the landmark."

"Of course we won't do something as stupid as that," Severus said with a snort before he pursed his lips together in thought and added, "Well, Black might."

"Shut up, Snape," Sirius growled.

"Is there any kind of spell that could allow us to look inside the stones without breaking them?" Harry asked curiously.

"I believe I may know the appropriate spell to use," said Severus. "But it'll take us all night if we only check one stone at a time."

"Then why don't you show us the spell?" Sirius sneered.

"Why don't I hex your mouth shut," retorted Severus.

Harry sighed. "Those two are never going to stop glaring at each other, are they?" he asked.

"Not in this lifetime," Ron admitted.

Luna smiled dreamily. "Why don't we just cast the spell on the entire landmark?" she asked curiously.

Severus glanced at the blonde woman before nodding. "I think that might be best," he said before he pointed his wand at the landmark and murmured a complex spell under his breath. The spell flew over the entire landmark and Remus watched as the stones glowed before shimmering. All of the stones, but one, were solid on the inside; the one stone that wasn't completely solid on the inside was one at the far side of the landmark. The stone had a small hole in it in which Remus could see something.

"I think I see it," he said.

"That's a long way up," said Harry jogging across the land toward the stone before glancing up at it. "How're we going to get it out without destroying the landmark?"

"That's the hard part," said Remus.

Draco frowned. "But how did Regulus get the locket into the stone in the first place?" he asked.

Sirius frowned before pointing his wand at the stone. "_Finite,_" he said. His wand sparked and the stone shimmered before disappearing revealing the hole hiding behind it. "Huh? I didn't think it'd work."

"Here, I'll get it," Draco said walking over to the stone.

"Be careful, Draco," Severus warned his godson. "It is a horcrux. There is no telling what the dark lord did to it."

"You called him the dark lord again, Sev," said Harry.

"Habit."

"I'll be careful," said Draco before he glanced at Ron and Harry. "Hey, will you two give me a boost up?"

The two nodded and Remus watched as they boosted Draco up until he was eyelevel with the hole. He stretched out a hand before gently grabbing the locket by the chain and pulling it out of the hole. Harry and Ron lowered him down and Draco held up the locket, which swayed in the warm breeze.

Severus took the locket in his hands before narrowing his eyes. "It would be best if we got out of here now," he said after he confirmed that it was a horcrux.

"Only one more to go," Harry said eyes glittering with excitement.

"Yeah but it's probably going to be the hardest one to get," Draco said softly.

"Why must you be such a pessimist?" Ron scowled.

"Hey, I'm just saying."

"We'd better get going," said Severus tucking the locket away before taking Draco and Harry's arms, turning on the spot and disapparating. Remus gently took Hermione, Luna and Ginny's arms before apparating away to reappear just beyond the wards of Prince Manor. Sirius arrived a moment later with Neville and Ron and Severus send his ghostly doe Patronus off probably to find Dumbledore.

"It shouldn't be long before Albus arrives," said Severus and, sure enough, the sound of disapparating came to the gathered group and Albus arrived a moment later. The headmaster went to stand in front of Severus who pulled the locket from a pocket in his robes, Remus had a feeling the pocket was spelled, and handed it to him.

"Only one more," said Albus. "And I believe that I already know what the last horcrux is."

"As do I," replied Severus. "Nagini."

* * *

><p>Lucius could tell Voldemort was getting more frustrated with each landmark in which they failed to find Voldemort's horcrux they visited. They were now on their way to the last landmark on the mental list Voldemort and the other Death Eaters had created; Stonehenge. Apparating to the county of Wiltshire, Lucius gazed around with his wand in his hand but he could see nothing but the large upright stones.<p>

Voldemort strode round the upright stones, growling in anger as his crimson eyes examined the landmark before he cast a spell Lucius couldn't hear but knew was the same spell he had cast on the other landmarks and a greenish blue light cascaded down upon the landmark. The stones glowed but one stone seemed to glow brighter than the others; its brilliant green light nearly blinded Lucius and the other Death Eaters before it faded away.

Voldemort walked to the upright stone before snarling in fury eyes flashing. "It's not here," he hissed. "It was here but someone got to it before us and I have a feeling it was the bloody Order of the Phoenix." Snarling in rage, Voldemort cast a bombarda curse at Stonehenge but, to the immense surprise of everyone present, it backfired and slammed into the Death Eaters, sending all of them flying to the ground.

Voldemort didn't even bother to look at his loyal supporters and Lucius, who wasn't sure where his loyalty lied at the moment, as he snarled, "We're turning to Malfoy Manor," and disapparated. Bellatrix was the first to follow them and the rest of the Death Eaters, Lucius being the last one to leave, followed them.

Voldemort immediately walked to Nagini who was coiled in her cage before stretching out a hand to touch the snake's head and hissing something that Lucius could not understand. However, his anger was not satisfied and he turned around before pointing his wand at his Death Eaters and cast the Cruciatus Curse.

Lucius and the rest of his Death Eaters slammed into the ground before writhing in pain until the dark lord decided to lift the curse. Scrambling to their feet, the Death Eaters watched as Voldemort, snarling in anger, paced in front of the cage where Nagini was sleeping. His eyes narrowed in thought before he curled his lips into a sneer.

"Attack Surrey," he ordered his Death Eaters. "I don't care what you do but try to get as many Aurors and Order members to attack and kill as many as you can. Go now and leave me with some time to think of our next move."

Lucius and the other Death Eaters left the manor even as Voldemort returned his gaze to the large queen cobra and began hissing to her again.

* * *

><p>Ron sipped at the cup of hot chocolate in his hand as he sat beside his friends on the couch. Luna and Draco were sitting nearby while Neville and Ginny sat beside each other and Hermione and Harry were talking quietly about the last horcrux. Ron listened to their conversation but otherwise stayed silent.<p>

"How do you suppose we're going to take out Nagini?" asked Harry with a frown. "I mean, Sev said that Nagini's a queen cobra."

Ron thought about Harry's words. "Well, she's a snake. Why don't you just cut off her head?" he said.

"That would work if she was a normal snake, Ron," said Hermione. "But she's a horcrux so there must be some way to kill her as well as destroy the horcrux."

"Well, what can destroy a horcrux?"

"Basilisk venom," said Harry and Ron knew he was thinking about the journal that was destroyed in their second year.

Ron thought about it for a moment before an idea came into his mind. "What about the Sword of Gryffindor?" he asked.

Draco's brow furrowed. "What about it, Ron?" he asked.

"Ron's right," said Hermione. "I've read about basilisk venom, it never goes away and Harry used the Sword of Gryffindor to kill the basilisk so, naturally, it's still covered in the venom. That might be the only way we can kill Nagini and destroy the horcrux; slice off her head with the Sword of Gryffindor."

Ron nodded. "But where do we get the sword?"

"The Sorting Hat is where I got it in second year," said Harry. "Maybe I can talk to Professor Dumbledore and see if I can borrow the sword."

Neville frowned. "But your guardian doesn't even want you to go after the last horcrux," he said quietly. He, like the rest of Harry's friends, had heard Snape talking with Dumbledore earlier about how he did not want Harry to go after the last, and probably most dangerous, horcrux.

"He said Nagini is the most dangerous," said Ginny softly eyes filled with worry.

"Ginny's right," Hermione said. "Cobras are highly venomous and anyone bit by a cobra will die within minutes if not sooner unless they're given an antidote almost as soon as they're bit."

"I'm still going after the last horcrux," Harry said stubbornly.

Draco curled his lip into a sneer. "You're as stubborn as a mule, Harry," he said. "But if you're going after the last horcrux than I'm going with you."

"As am I, mate," Ron said firmly.

"You can count me in," Hermione said.

"Me too," Luna said softly.

"I'm in too," Ginny agreed.

"As am I," Neville said quietly. "Remember what we said just before fifth year ended. We're all in this together."

And Ron knew that those words still held true.

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was chapter 36**

**Darth: well it's about time**

**Anakin: so what's gonna happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: (purses lips together in thought) an attack, which will result in a kidnapping, and some other things but I haven't worked them out yet**

**Anakin: oh okay**

**Blaze: please review and I will post chapter 37 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be anytime soon**


	37. Chapter Thirty Seven

**The journalist is an OC, it was very late when Voldemort arrived at Stonehenge in the last chapter and a quick reminder: Harry is **_**not**_** a horcrux in this story.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty Seven<strong>

Harry woke up covered in a cold sweat shivering violently as he gazed up at the ceiling; the nightmare continued to cling to his consciousness worrying him immensely. It wasn't a normal nightmare; it was one that involved the deaths of everyone he had come to care about, even Severus. It wasn't a vision from Voldemort, of that Harry was positive since his scar didn't hurt, but it was scary.

Harry shook his head telling himself to stop acting like a baby over a nightmare even if it did make him worried. He was only thankful that there was only one horcrux left and then they could finally stand a chance at defeat Voldemort once and for all.

Looking at the clock, he noticed it was only seven in the morning and he sighed. He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so he decided to see if Snape was up yet, which he probably was.

Changing, Harry made his way downstairs and into the dining room to find his guardian sitting at the table sipping at a mug of steaming coffee and the _Daily Prophet_ in the other hand; his obsidian eyes flared and Harry wondered what was printed in the _Prophet _that upset his guardian so much.

"Good morning, Harry. You're up early," Snape said lifting his head to look at Harry as he sat down at the table.

Niran popped into the kitchen. "Good morning, Master Harry. What would yous like for breakfast?" she asked.

"Uh pancakes," Harry said.

"Right away, Master Harry," Niran said and popped away.

Harry turned his attention back to Snape as Niran popped back and placed of pancakes with a bottle of syrup next to the plate. Harry poured some syrup on the pancakes still looking at Snape. "What are you reading?" he asked.

Snape gave him a look that clearly said 'what does it look like?' before saying, "Something happened in Surrey."

Harry frowned. "Is everyone okay?"

Snape simply handed over the _Prophet_. Harry, fearing the worse, took the _Prophet_ and, when he started reading, he was shocked.

_Massacre in Surrey_

_By Emily Matthews_

_Though there are some who are unsure as to the exact time of the attack, an area of Surrey known as Little Whinging was attacked by Death Eaters. The attack was so sudden that Aurors were not alerted until it was too late. Though the final count is still undetermined, there is an estimate of over a hundred deaths but the destruction caused by the attack has left many buildings in ruins._

_ Aurors have been working since they arrived in Little Whinging after they drove the Death Eaters away to find everyone but it would seem that the number of causalities is getting higher and higher the longer they remain. This is the biggest attack led by the followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named since His return at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament with the highest number of causalities._

_ Little is known as to why the Death Eaters chose to attack Little Whinging aside from the fact that it was the former home of the Boy-Who-Lived Harry James Potter. As far as the Aurors could tell, there were no magical people living in Little Whinging now that Mr. Potter left; the only person in Little Whinging with any connection to the Wizarding world was squib Arabella Figg who, unfortunately, was one of the causalities._

Harry dropped the _Prophet _at that; Figg was always so nice to him and often babysat him while he was growing up even if she had too many cats. To hear that she was dead was a shock.

"Harry, are you all right?" Snape asked looking at him.

"Yeah, just…surprised," Harry said finally. "Why would Voldemort send his Death Eaters to attack Little Whinging? There wasn't anyone there except Ms. Figg."

"It's possible it's because of that town's connection with you," Snape said.

Harry shook his head. "It's horrible. It says that this was the biggest attack since Voldemort's return," he said.

"From what I know, this is the biggest attack since the First War," Snape said. He paused before adding, "Where's Draco?"

"Probably still asleep," Harry said.

"Which begs the question, why are you up so early?"

Harry hesitated; while he didn't want to talk about his nightmare, he felt it would be better if he did even if it didn't have anything to do with Voldemort. "I had a nightmare," he said.

"Did you Occlude before you went to sleep?" Snape asked.

"Yeah I did but it wasn't that kind of nightmare," Harry said before he shook his head. "Never mind."

Snape sighed but stood up and walked over to stand in front of Harry. "Harry, as your guardian, you know that I will listen to you and talking about it might help."

Harry closed his eyes feeling tears leak out from beneath closed eyelids. "I…I saw everyone I love die," he said finally. "It happened so fast but I could make out some details. I saw Nagini attack you, Sev, and Draco was hit with a killing curse and Hermione and Luna were being tortured and…" He broke off.

Snape placed his hands on Harry's shoulders. "If it really wasn't Voldemort, Harry, then it's just your fears. It won't happen," he said softly.

"How do you know?" Harry asked lifting tear-filled eyes to look at Snape. "How do you know it won't happen?"

"Harry, I won't let anything happen to you or your friends," Snape assured him. "And neither will your mangy godfather and Lupin."

"But what about you three?" Harry protested standing and hugging Snape before resting his head against Snape's chest. He felt Snape hesitantly—he obviously still wasn't quite that comfortable with this—wrapped his arms around him.

"We know how to take care of ourselves, Harry," Snape said.

"But…"

"Harry, everything will be all right."

Harry closed his eyes. "We're so close to beating him, Sev," he whispered.

"And we will beat him, Harry," Snape said.

* * *

><p>"You don't look that great, Lucius," Bellatrix said as Lucius made his way into the kitchen of Malfoy Manor. He hasn't slept much since Cissy's death and the massacre they had just committed in Surrey had left him with little hours to sleep. There was also the fact that, since Lucius lost faith in the Dark Lord's cause, he was unsure of what to think about the massacre. It seemed like a waste of time.<p>

"Don't tell me you're still mourning that traitorous wife of yours," Bellatrix sneered when Lucius didn't respond.

The blonde aristocrat refused to respond to Bellatrix's words although they were like a knife in his gut; he knew his wife had betrayed the Dark Lord but she was still his wife, she was the love of his life and she was gone, gone doing what he should have done from the very beginning: protecting their son.

"My pathetic sister shouldn't have sided with that mudblood, blood traitor loving brat," Bellatrix sneered.

"Just shut up, Bella," Lucius said tiredly making himself a cup of tea.

Bellatrix chuckled. "You really aren't over that traitor. Pathetic. It's a wonder the Dark Lord keeps you around," she said.

As if just talking about him called him up, Lucius's dark mark flared. Bellatrix, eyes glinting in glee, leapt to her feet and jogged out of the kitchen. Lucius, taking a few drinks of his tea, put it on the table before following Bellatrix at a more steady pace.

Voldemort, with Nagini coiled around his shoulders—Lucius was faintly surprised she was out of the magically-protected cage that she was normally kept in—gazed at the Death Eaters gathered around him coolly.

"I have waited long enough for the Potter brat's death and, with my horcruxes vanishing as rapidly as they have been, I want this to end now. I want the Potter brat and the traitor Snape along with Dumbledore. We must have the advantage and I know of a way we can get that advantage. Bellatrix, you and Lucius shall lead an attack; I want you to attack the Lovegoods; bring me the daughter. Bring her to me alive and make sure to tell her father to tell the Order that I will kill the Lovegood girl if Potter does not face me instead of hiding behind Dumbledore like the coward he is."

"Is that wise? I am sure the entire Order will respond if you do that, my lord," Lucius said softly.

"I want the entire Order to respond, Lucius," Voldemort snapped angrily. "We will set up an ambush. I have an idea that will decimate the numbers of the Order." His bloodless lips pulled back in a sinister grin that Lucius resisted the urge to shiver at.

Whatever Voldemort had planned, it did not bode well for anyone.

* * *

><p>Luna hummed as she walked down the stairs of her home and headed toward the kitchen. She was happy that things were starting to wind down in the war against Voldemort though she suspected that things weren't going to just end easily for anyone. She knew they still had to kill Nagini and she was wondering how they would manage that.<p>

From what Harry said, the Sword of Gryffindor was probably their best bet but she didn't know how they would manage to get it out of the Sorting Hat.

"Are you all right, Luna?" Xenophilius said looking at her curiously.

"Yes, I'm fine, father," Luna said with a small smile.

Xenophilius smiled at her before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you help me prepare dinner?" he suggested.

Luna nodded and the two of them began working together.

Dinner was quiet but what happened afterwards was not something either Luna or her father expected.

The attack came out of nowhere. One minute, Luna and her father were relaxing in the living room; Luna thinking about other ways to destroy the last of the horcruxes while her father was reading. And the next, Death Eaters had managed to crash through the wards surrounding the home and attack.

Xenophilius, wand in hand, shouted, "Luna, run!" before shouting out a curse that knocked one Death Eater into another.

Luna took off toward the second door before tossing a _reducto_ over her shoulder that hit another Death Eater sending him flying. She then pointed her wand and, infusing it with her love for her father and the love she was beginning to feel for Draco, she shouted, "_expecto patronum!_"

A moment later, the silvery rabbit appeared in front of her hopping around.

"Get help!" Luna said and the silver rabbit vanished.

"_Stupefy_!" A shout sounded but Luna dodged.

"_Impedimenta,_" she called before whirling around and blasting another Death Eater with the _reducto _curse.

She again began running toward the other door in her home when a shout of "_incarcerous_" sounded.

She dodged the binding spell before whirling around and shouting, "_expelliarmus!_" and the Death Eater was sent flying backwards.

"_Crucio!_" A familiar female voice screamed and Luna screamed in agony as the curse slammed into her before she could dodge. She fell to the ground, dropping her wand and writhing in agony as Bellatrix, eyes alit with satisfaction, came forward.

"Luna! _Diffindo!_" Xenophilius shouted but another Death Eater deflected the curse back at him.

Bellatrix looked at Xenophilius who struggled to get to his feet before he was sent flying backwards by a repelling charm. He crashed into the wall and fell to the ground only partially conscious.

"Listen good, loony Lovegood," Bellatrix shouted. "The Dark Lord has a message. Tell Potter that if he does not face the Dark Lord face to face, instead of hiding behind Dumbledore like a coward, then the Dark Lord will kill the half-blood." Then she shouted "_stupefy_" and Luna knew nothing but darkness.

* * *

><p>Draco was in the living room playing Wizard's Chess with Harry while Snape read a book in an armchair nearby when the floor flared to life and Lupin poked his head through the flames. "Severus, may I step over?" he said sounding worried.<p>

"What's going on?" Harry asked worriedly as Snape nodded.

Lupin's head disappeared and his whole body appeared a moment later. He looked very grave. "Something's happened," he said. "We received a patronus from Miss. Lovegood and went to the Lovegood house immediately. It was completely destroyed; it's a miracle Xenophilius survived at all."

"What about Luna?" Draco asked worriedly thinking about the blonde girl who had comforted him when his mother died and whom, though a little odd, was very pretty. Draco wouldn't be lying to himself if he said he was beginning to have feelings for her even if he couldn't work out what they were. At the moment, he only felt concern.

"She was taken," Lupin said. "Xenophilius said they took her and Bellatrix gave him a message to pass on."

"Then why are you here, Lupin? Shouldn't Albus and the Order know?" Snape asked.

"The message wasn't to the Order, Severus, it was to Harry."

Harry looked up sharply. "Me?" he said.

"Yes, Xenophilius said that Bellatrix said that You…Voldemort wants you to face him face to face without hiding behind Dumbledore or he will kill Luna," Lupin said gravelly.

Draco gasped eyes widening in fear.

"No, I'm not letting Harry anywhere near that monster," Snape snarled getting to his feet.

"But he'll kill Luna," Harry protested.

"Harry, he's likely going to kill Luna anyway. It won't matter if you face him or not. That's just the way he works," Snape said turning to gaze at Harry.

"So what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and let Luna die?! We have to do something," Draco exclaimed.

"This might be our chance to get Nagini, Severus," Harry added. "One of us can use the Sword of Gryffindor on Nagini and…"

"And how do you suppose anyone will even get close to Nagini, Harry?"

"I can distract…"

"No!" Lupin and Snape shouted at the same time.

"I've already lost your mother, I won't lose you too," Snape said. "We can take care of this, Harry. The Order can. We know that they are likely at Malfoy Manor."

"What of the wards?" Lupin said suddenly with a frown.

"Voldemort's expecting Harry, Lupin. I'm sure he'll drop the wards to allow him through."

"The wards will know if someone is not who they say they are," Draco said suddenly. "Voldemort won't drop them unless he knows _Harry_'s the one that's attempting to go through them."

Snape looked worried and furious at the same time. He stepped over to Harry's side and drew him into a tight hug.

"He'll be expecting Harry to come to rescue Miss. Lovegood," Snape said still holding Harry. "But I would not be surprised if he was expecting the entire Order to come with Harry. He must be planning something, something to take care of the Order as well as Harry, Albus and myself."

"Then we need to come up with something that will take him by surprise," Lupin said.

"But what?" Draco asked with a frown.

"If they're going to ambush us then Voldemort must have something set up that will get rid of a sizeable number of the Order," Snape said. "I can only think of one plan that might stand a chance at working but it would involve us getting into Malfoy Manor undetected and that is impossible with the wards."

"Actually, I think I know of a way to do that," Harry said suddenly.

"How?" Lupin asked with a frown.

Harry grinned. "Dobby."

"Who's…?"

"Of course," Draco said. "Even though he was freed from our family, thanks a lot for that by the way Harry, he can still bypass the wards around Malfoy Manor. If anyone can get someone into Malfoy Manor undetected, it would be Dobby."

"Will he help us if it means going back to Malfoy Manor even if it's only temporary?" Snape asked.

"Dobby'll do anything for me since I freed him," Harry said. "But what's your plan, Sev?"

Snape pressed his lips together. "Let's travel to Grimmauld's Place. The entire Order should hear my plan and decide whether they agree with it or not. It's risky though."

"Are you _sure_ you're not at least partially Gryffindor?" Harry said teasingly.

Snape shuddered. "Perish the thought, Harry. Now come. The sooner we figure out what we're going to do, the better of a chance Miss. Lovegood will have."

* * *

><p><strong>An what do you think?**

**Blaze: wow, I can't believe it took me almost two years to update this story**

**Darth: so how long will it take you to update this story next? Another two years?**

**Blaze: haha. No, I'm working on the last two chapters, and the epilogue, of this story now**

**Darth: there are only three chapters (epilogue included) left in this story?**

**Blaze: that's what I said, isn't it?**

**Harry: ARGH! STUPID CLIFFHANGER!**

**Draco: that idiot Voldymuffin better not kill Luna (pulls out flaming machete and glares at Voldymuffin)**

**Voldymuffin: you cannot defeat me!**

**Draco: wanna bet? (Slams flaming machete into Voldymuffin's head and stalks off)**

**Blaze: (chuckles) please review and I will post the next chapter soon and I promise you, it will **_**not **_**be almost two years this time. **


	38. Chapter Thirty Eight

**Yeah, last chapter, I said that there were only three chapters (epilogue and this chapter included) left but, depending on how this chapter ends, there might only be the epilogue left. Just depends. Also, some Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione and Remus/Tonks fluff at the end, just a little bit.**

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

Luna groaned before blinking her eyes open. She was lying on a cold, tiled floor and, as she lifted her head, she could see she was surrounded by hooded Death Eaters with Voldemort sitting nearby on his throne; Nagini was draped over his shoulders.

Voldemort hadn't noticed she was awake yet; his gaze was fixed on one of the Death Eaters in the circle. Luna shifted only to find that her arms and her legs were bound tightly with ropes and she couldn't wiggle free. She tried though but, eventually, gave up and began looking for her wand.

"Is everything prepared, Lucius?" Voldemort said to the Death Eater he was looking at.

"Yes my lord," Malfoy replied and Luna was surprised to hear that his voice was taut with distress and yet it remained level.

Voldemort must have noticed to for, narrowing his eyes, he said, "Are you thinking about your traitorous son, Lucius?"

"He is no son of mine," Lucius said but even Luna could tell he didn't sounding convincing.

"Then you will not mind if I kill him personally along with Dumbledore, Snape and Potter," Voldemort said with a cruel smirk. "Of course, after I let Bellatrix play with him."

Bellatrix, who was standing to the right of Voldemort's throne, grinned. She was twirling two wands in her hands; Luna immediately recognized hers.

Luna glanced briefly at Malfoy; he stood to the left of where Voldemort was seated and his eyes were fixed on the ground. He remained motionless and said nothing in response to Voldemort's words.

"Unless you wish to be the one to kill him, Lucius," Voldemort said.

She wasn't positive but Luna was sure that she saw Lucius flinch. "No my lord, he betrayed _you_," he said undercurrents of pain and sadness in his voice that Luna was sure he was trying hard to hide.

_Does he still care about Draco?_ Luna wondered silently.

"That is so and that is why I would have denied your request if you had made it but you understand that if anyone is going to kill that traitor then it will be me," Voldemort said before he turned his crimson gaze to Luna. "Until they arrive, however, why don't we have some entertainment, shall we? Bellatrix?"

Bellatrix grinned drifting forward. "It will be my pleasure, my lord," she said with a bow before she came to Luna's side and, kneeling down, she dug her wand into Luna's side and hissed out, "_Crucio!_"

Luna screamed and writhed in agony as her entire body was engulfed in pain and her nerves were set on fire. It hurt so much and yet she couldn't get away from it. Bellatrix, with an insane laugh, removed the wand before jamming it into her stomach and hissed out, "_Crucio!_" again.

The pain was intense and yet it was so painful that Luna couldn't even go unconscious to escape the pain. Her entire body felt like it was on fire.

"That's enough, Bellatrix," Voldemort said and Bellatrix, pouting, removed her wand before standing up.

"Yes my lord," she said and returned to her spot near Voldemort's throne.

"It will not be long before Potter and the Order arrive. Remember to not let the wards fall unless Potter is with the group," he ordered Lucius who bowed his head.

"Yes my lord," he said softly.

"And make sure everyone is in place. The Order must _not_ know they are there if this ambush is to work but make sure to leave Potter, Snape and Dumbledore for me," Voldemort ordered.

"Yes my lord."

"Good."

* * *

><p>The entirety of the Order of the Phoenix gathered in the conference room within Grimmauld's Place. Harry stood with Hermione, Ron, Draco, Neville and Ginny at his side; despite not being of age yet, they were invited to attend the meeting though Molly Weasley didn't agree.<p>

"They aren't of age yet," she protested when she spotted the six soon to be sixth years.

"This may be our only chance to defeat Voldemort once and for all, Molly," Dumbledore said gently, "and he asked specifically for Harry."

"He's not even sixteen yet!"

"Yes, I know that but he's not going alone. Voldemort expects him to come with help but Severus has a plan that might just work," Dumbledore said.

"What kind of plan?" Tonks asked warily.

Everyone looked at Snape who was seated next to Dumbledore. Snape gazed back at them before he began to speak. "Harry told me that he knows of a way to get into Malfoy Manor without triggering the wards. Voldemort likely wishes to take out as many members of the Order as he can as well as Harry, Albus and myself but he will likely not use straightforward methods. They have home field advantage and it's possible they've set up an ambush for us."

"If Harry can get some of us into Malfoy Manor without triggering the wards then we'll have the advantage of surprise. We can stop the ambush, if there is one, or we can attack from two sides, if there isn't one."

"How're you going to get into Malfoy Manor though, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Dobby," Harry said. "He's a former house elf that I freed in my second year. Draco said that he can still bypass the wards without alerting anyone inside."

"My parents preferred our house elves to never be seen or heard and they didn't want to be bothered with hearing our house elves leaving or entering the manor if they ever had to leave to run an errand," Draco added. "That's why they won't trigger any alarms."  
>"It's a risky plan," Moody growled.<p>

"Yes but, at the moment, it might be our _only_ plan," Snape said.

"I, for one, think it might work," Dumbledore said.

"It's risky but that's why I like it," Sirius said with a grin.

"You would," Snape sneered.

"You're the one that thought of it, Snape," Sirius retorted.

"He's got a point, Sev," Harry said and smirked when Snape glared at him.

"Who's going to be in which group though?" Arthur asked.

"I have to be part of the group that Voldemort knows about," Harry said. "Or else it might not work."

"It's too dangerous though," Mrs. Weasley protested.

"He's not going alone, Molly," Dumbledore assured her. "I will go with him."

"As will I," Snape said.

"We're going to," Hermione said.

"No, absolutely not! It's bad enough Harry has to go!" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"That bloody bastard killed my mother. I'm not just going to sit aside and do nothing," Draco snapped.

"We started this with Harry and we're going to end it with him," Hermione said firmly.

"We're all in this together, we have been from the very beginning," Neville said.

Dumbledore smiled gently at the group of children. "I do not want to put you in any danger…"

"Professor, like Neville said, we started this together and we're going to end it together. Besides, Luna's my friend and I'm not going to sit aside and do nothing either," Ginny said sternly.

"I agree," Ron said.

Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to protest but, before she could, Dumbledore said, "I have an idea. No matter which group you are a part of, I want you to stay near an adult at all times, two adults if you can. They will keep an eye on and protect you. Do you agree with this, Mrs. Weasley?"

"I don't like it, not at all, but fine," Mrs. Weasley said. "But if we tell you to get out of there, do as we say."

Everyone nodded.

"All right, now who will be part of which group?" Remus asked.

"We should probably see how many people Dobby can transport into Malfoy Manor at once," Snape said.

"Dobby!" Harry called. Normally, Dobby was always near Harry ready to help him and today was no exception.

A _pop_ sounded and Dobby the house elf appeared before them. "Master Harry," he greeted him.

"Hey Dobby," Harry said with a smile. "We need a favor."

"Anything for yous, Master Harry," Dobby said though he eyed Draco warily.

"Don't worry, Dobby. Draco won't hurt you," Harry assured him. "But we need you to do something for us but first, how many people can you transport from one location to another at once?"

Dobby seemed to think for a minute. "As many as ten Dobby think, Master Harry," he said.

"That should work," Snape said.

"All right, Dobby. Will you be willing to transport ten members of the Order straight into Malfoy Manor?" Harry asked.

Dobby looked worried.

"It's our only chance to save Luna and defeat Voldemort once and for all," Harry said ignoring Dobby's slight flinch. "All you have to do is get ten of us into Malfoy Manor and that's it. Dobby, will you do it?"

Dobby hesitated then he nodded causing his large years to flop. "Anything for yous, Master Harry," he said.

"Great."

"One other thing," Snape said thoughtfully. "Is it possible for you to transport these ten members into Malfoy Manor and keep them from being seen by anyone inside the Manor?"

Dobby nodded eager to help even if he did still look a little worried. "Yes, Dobby can do that," he said.

Snape nodded. "Then that would be the best thing to do."

Dumbledore nodded.

The majority of the Order would be going with Harry and, despite Mrs. Weasley's protests, all of Harry's friends decided to go with him as well. They were instructed to stay near an Order member at all times. Harry, naturally, would stay near Snape and Dumbledore though Sirius and Remus said they would be nearby in case.

"But we'll keep an eye on your friends, kiddo," Sirius said.

Harry nodded.

"Okay, so when do we leave?" Ron asked.

"First things first, we need something to kill Nagini and destroy that horcrux as well," Harry said.

"We will not need to worry about that," Dumbledore assured him.

"What about if Nagini bites anyone?" Mrs. Weasley asked worriedly.

"I have a few antidotes with me," Snape said, "but we will have to be careful since I don't have enough for everyone."

"Are we ready to go then?" Dumbledore asked.

Everyone nodded though Harry could tell he wasn't the only one who was nervous.

"We're going to finally end this," Harry told himself.

"Yes we will, Harry," Snape said softly. "But be careful, Harry."

"I will, Sev but you be careful too. You too, Sirius, Remus, all of you. I don't want anyone else to die for me," Harry said.

"We'll be careful," Remus assured him softly.

"Then let's do this."

* * *

><p>Mad-Eye Moody was in charge of the group Dobby would transport directly into Malfoy Manor. He was also in charge of figuring out if there was an ambush or not and preparing for it; he always suspected the worse so he was prepared for an ambush.<p>

He, along with nine others, gathered around Dobby in the conference room before he cast a silencing charm over them so that they could talk freely when they reached Malfoy Manor. "Okay, yous need to stay close together," Dobby said. "Hold hands if yous need to so yous won't get left behind."

Moody grunted but he and the others did as they were told and, suddenly, they were gone.

It wasn't long before they reappeared in the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. The fact that the two Death Eaters in the hall didn't notice them though they had appeared right in front of them told Moody that the house-elf had managed to make them invisible. They also cast verbless and wandless disillusionment charms while under Dobby's protection; he and Snape had assured them that, once inside Malfoy Manor because of how much magic was concentrated there from the Death Eaters and Voldemort, no one would notice if they cast that spell _after _they got inside.

"When's the brat supposed to show up?" One of the Death Eaters in the hall growled.

"Any time now," the other Death Eater said.

"Is everything set up?" Bellatrix demanded as she walked into the entrance hall. Moody stiffened as she passed dangerously close to where the group was located.

"Yeah, everyone's in place. Once they get here then they won't know what hit 'em," the first Death Eater said.

"Better be sure about that," Bellatrix sneered before walking away.

Moody felt someone tap his shoulder and he looked toward Shacklebolt who gestured and the group backed away from the Death Eaters. "Looks like they are setting up an ambush," Shacklebolt whispered very softly. "What kind though?"

"My guess is they're disillusioned or hiding," Moody murmured back barely moving his lips.

"There, I see someone," an Auror whispered pointing and Moody looked to find a black-cloaked figure crouched beside one of the pillars.

"Spread out," Moody whispered. "Find as many of these people as possible but don't reveal yourself. Remember that many of them are likely disillusioned and remember constant vigilance!"

Everyone spread out, some making their way up the stairs while others wandered around the entrance hall still hidden by the disillusionment charm. Dobby was either invisible or he already left; Moody didn't know.

He was joined by Shacklebolt near the bottom of the winding staircase where two Death Eaters were crouched in the staircase's shadow. Shacklebolt, casting a wandless and verbless silencing charm since the other one had been canceled when they split up, before whispering, "I just saw Malfoy. He's heading here."

A moment later, Malfoy walked into the entrance hall.

"Bellatrix already came to check on us," the Death Eater that was standing guard near the door said.

"I know but I'm making sure everything is fine. Just go back to your duties," Malfoy said. He sounded tired and there was an undercurrent of sadness in his voice.

The two Death Eaters just looked at each other, shrugged and turned their gaze back to the door. Malfoy remained standing behind them before he lifted his wand and cast a spell, wandless and verbless since Moody didn't know what it did. He then turned and walked away passing close enough to Moody that he heard him murmur, "It's not much but I hope it will help. This is for you, Cissy though I don't know if it will make amends. Also, I hope that I will be able to apologize to your face for being such an idiot, my little dragon," and then he disappeared down the hall.

Moody frowned wondering what Malfoy did but decided now wasn't the time to worry about that. He refocused his attention on the hidden Death Eaters as he waited for the final battle to begin.

* * *

><p>Harry stood nervously beyond the wards of Malfoy Manor. He gazed at the creepy manor but didn't move; he had to wait until Dobby told them that everyone was in position. Snape stood at his side with a hand resting on his shoulder while Dumbledore stood on his other side.<p>

Suddenly, Dobby popped into existence in front of them. "Everyone's in place, Master Harry," he said.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said and Dobby popped away. He took a deep breath before looking at his friends. "Well, this is it."

Everyone nodded and then Ginny dashed forward, wrapped her arms around Harry and kissed him on the lips. Harry's eyes went wide but he kissed her back wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. She pulled free and smiled at him. "We'll finish this, Harry," she said. "I know that we can."

Harry smiled before looking toward Ron and Hermione who were also kissing and holding each other as if this would be the last time they would be seeing each other, which it possibly could be.

Sirius smirked as Remus, putting an arm around Tonks, froze when Tonks turned and kissed him on the lips.

"You boys are too slow in making the first move," she said pulling back and smirking at a shocked Remus, her hair turning a lavender color. Remus said nothing but simply kissed Tonks back.

"Way to go, Moony," Sirius said with a grin.

"Shut it, Padfoot," Remus snapped pulling free.

"Now that that's all done and taken care of, we should get moving," Snape said flatly before he looked at Harry and his eyes softened a little. "Don't do anything stupid, Harry."

"I won't, Sev," Harry said before he hugged his guardian resting his head against Snape's chest as Snape slowly put his arms around him holding him close.

"You better not, brat," Snape said affectionately as he released him.

"Are we ready now?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry took a deep breath before turning to face the manor. "Let's do this," he said.

* * *

><p><strong>an what do you think?**

**Blaze: okay, so there really are three (well two now) more chapters in this story including the epilogue**

**Darth: awesome**

**Blaze: so short author's note since I'm off to type the final battle scene, wish me luck since battle scenes really aren't my forte. Please review as they are much appreciated.**


	39. Chapter Thirty Nine

**Thank you to the eleven people who reviewed the last chapter. Here is the second to last one and I hope that you like it; reviews are always appreciated.**

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

Harry found himself feeling extremely nervous as he edged his way toward Malfoy Manor. Dobby had disappeared after Harry gave him a last minute order; get Luna out of the manor as soon as the battle started. He had done that because he was positive Luna was injured, especially with Bellatrix being there.

Snape placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

Harry gave his guardian a small smile before he walked forward again wand in hand. The gates swung open on their own accord likely because the wards had been lifted the instant the Death Eaters figured Harry was there. Snape and Dumbledore walked on either side of him with their wands in their hands while the rest of the Order who weren't already inside the Manor and his friends walked in behind them.

It was a silent trek to the doors leading into the manor; even the wind was quiet. It gave the manor an even creepier feeling. Harry pushed aside the sense of foreboding he felt as he walked eyes scanning the area until he reached the double doors. The doors swung open revealing a dark entrance hall, which further solidified Harry's belief that this was a trap.

"Let's go," he said and stepped into the entrance hall. He looked around murmuring "_lumos_" and his wand lit up. Shadows fled but the entrance hall was still eerily silent; Harry was sure Moody's group was already in position to attack so he simply glanced at Snape and Dumbledore.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"Voldemort wants us," Dumbledore said. "Severus, you know where he is so you lead the way. The rest of you, keep an eye out for any surprises just in case. As Moody would say _constant vigilance_."

That caused a few people to snicker before they began to spread out their lit up wands in hand as they moved. They pretended as if they were looking for spells or traps or people but Harry wasn't surprised to see that no one saw anything. He spotted Draco walking alongside Sirius while Hermione was with Tonks, Ron and Ginny were with their parents and Neville was beside Remus. They were walking in the center of the group of Order members and Aurors who were fanning out around them in a circle to maximize their protection.

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione called.

"You too, ''Mione," Harry called back before he and Dumbledore followed Snape as he led the way toward wherever it was that Voldemort was located. They walked in silence eyes scanning the area looking at shadowed crevices and strangely silent and empty portraits on the walls. The lack of light was disturbing but Harry forced himself not to think about it; all he thought about was how close he was to finally defeating Voldemort.

"In here," Snape whispered before he placed a hand on the door before an explosion sounded behind them. Harry jumped but, before he could turn around, Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The ambush has been sprung. We must do our part, Harry," the old wizard said gently.

Harry nodded slowly before turning around as Snape pushed open the door and the three wizards stepped into the darkened makeshift throne room to face Voldemort.

\/\/\/\/\/

The instant Dobby saw the first spell being cast by one of the invisible Death Eaters in the entrance hall, and the hall exploded into battle, he popped away reappearing in the throne room.

He lashed out with his magic tossing Bellatrix back and sending Luna's wand flying into his hand.

"You dare touch a witch's wand," Bellatrix shrieked while Voldemort got to his feet fury written on his face. "Hand that over right now!"

"Dobby takes orders from no one. Dobby is a free elf!" Dobby declared grabbing Luna's arm.

Bellatrix shrieked. "_Avada…_" she began.

"You're not taking someone I care about from me. _Expelliarmus!_" Harry's familiar voice shouted and the disarming charm slammed into Bellatrix sending her flying to the ground. While she and the others in the makeshift throne room were distracted by Harry's arrival, Dobby tightened his grip on Luna's arm and disappeared with a _pop_ to reappear outside Malfoy Manor.

He handed Luna her wand and she gripped it tightly as she forced herself to her feet. A crash sounded and a Death Eater was sent flying out of a window to skid across the darkened lawn.

"_Petrificus totatlus!_" Luna intoned immediately and the Death Eater collapsed stiff as a board. She looked at Dobby before smiling. "Thanks for helping me, Dobby."

"Yous welcome. Dobby glad to help a friend of Master Harry," Dobby said.

A scream of pain sounded and Luna's head shot up, eyes widening. "Draco!" She cried and, before Dobby could stop her, she dashed up the stairs, past the still open door and directly into the middle of the battle in the entrance hall.

\/\/\/\/\/

Draco did his best to stay at Sirius's side but he hadn't been prepared to block the spell aimed at him from one of the Carrow twins that sent him flying through the throng of Death Eaters, Aurors and Order members to crash into the staircase. Lying winded for a moment, he scrambled to his feet before shouting, "_stupefy_."

Alecto Carrow dodged her lips curling into a sneer. "I'd kill ya now if the dark lord didn't want to do that himself, traitor! But, for now, _crucio!_"

Draco didn't have time to dodge and fell to the ground writhing and screaming in agony as his nerves were set on fire.

"Get away from him. _Reducto!_" A familiar, beautiful, melodic voice shouted and Alecto was blasted into a wall. Draco lifted his head as the familiar slender form of Luna hurried toward him; she looked in pain and yet she was still moving.

"Luna?" Draco said stunned that the girl was as resilient as she was.

Luna gave him a small smile. "It's good to see you, Draco," she said.

"I…I'm glad you're all right," Draco said softly taking the girl's hand in his. He wanted to say so much more, wanted to just be open with the feelings that he didn't even understand entirely, but a curse flying toward them that forced them to separate to avoid being hit meant he would have to wait a little while longer.

"_Flipendo!_" Luna shouted blasting the Death Eater who had shot that curse at them halfway across the entrance hall. She walked over to Draco and held out a hand and Draco took it before standing up.

"Let's go help," she said not releasing Draco's hand.

He, trying hard not to blush, nodded and the two of them, still hand in hand, dashed back into the fray.

\/\/\/\/\/

Harry completely ignored Bellatrix who was getting to her feet as he faced Voldemort ignoring the pain that flared in his scar. Voldemort, wand in hand, strode down from the throne Nagini draped around his shoulders. "So, the Boy-Who-Lived, the traitor and the old man, I suppose it's fitting that all three of you die here together," he hissed.

"The only one that's going to die here today is you, Tom," Dumbledore declared.

Voldemort snarled in fury. "I have grown more powerful than ever, old man. You will never defeat me," he shouted before shouting out a spell that Dumbledore immediately countered causing an explosion of power to occur when the two spells connected.

Harry dodged out of the way of a curse aimed at him from a Death Eater before shouting "_Expelliarmus!_" and the Death Eater was sent flying backwards.

"Harry, down!" Snape called.

Harry immediately dropped to the ground as Snape shouted, "_Sectumsempra!_" and a Death Eater, gashes spurting blood, was sent flying into the wall.

Rolling to his feet, Harry shot off another spell at a Death Eater coming up on his guardian's blindside and, before long, he and Snape were fighting back to back. Glancing toward Dumbledore and Voldemort's fight, Harry froze.

"Sev, Nagini's gone," he shouted.

"What?" Snape swore when he saw that Harry was right "Keep fighting, Harry. If you spot that snake, let me know."

"All right."'

"_Reducto_!" Bellatrix shrieked and the spell slammed into Harry and Snape, catching them off guard, and they were sent flying into the wall.

Bellatrix dashed forward firing off curses at both Harry and Snape forcing them apart from each other as they struggled to dodge the array of spells. Snape ended up facing off against another Death Eater; the two of them got caught in a duel.

Harry was left to fend for himself against Bellatrix.

"The precious Boy-Who-Lived. You know you're gonna die here just like the little traitor!_ Crucio!_"

Harry barely avoided the curse by diving through the door leading into the room. He appeared in the hallway and shouted, "_Diffindo_" when Bellatrix ran out of the door behind him. She blocked the curse shouting "_incendio_."

Harry, scrambling to his feet, ran away from the tapestry that caught on fire behind him. His back was to the fighting in the entrance hall, his green eyes trained on Bellatrix, and it was only a shouted "Harry! Look out!" that gave him enough time to dodge the curse one of the Death Eaters in the entrance hall aimed at him.

It nearly struck Bellatrix had the crazy witch not dodged out of the way.

"_Diffindo!_" A shout sounded and a scream of agony sounded above the battle.

"No! Ginny!"

Harry's heart froze at those words and Bellatrix, her lips turning in a feral grin, let out an insane laugh. "The little baby blood traitor got hurt. Poor baby," she said sarcastically before she turned and shouted "_Avada kedavra!_" aiming it into the heart of the fray right towards Ron who was fighting alongside Hermione and Tonks.

"Ron!" Harry shouted.

Ron heard and immediately pushed Hermione away before jumping out of the way to avoid the killing curse.

"_Stupefy!_" Harry shouted aiming the stunning charm at Bellatrix but she, laughing, blocked.

"Is that the best you can do, Potter?" she sneered.

Harry gripped his wand tightly eyes flaring with rage but he said nothing instead just launched another spell at Bellatrix.

\/\/\/\/\/

Severus and Lucius were evenly matched, not that Severus was that surprised. He and Lucius had been close friends during their years at Hogwarts so it wasn't that big of a surprise that they would know each other well enough to counter each other's attacks. Still, Severus hadn't been a spy for years to not notice the signs that Lucius was holding back.

He dodged around a cutting curse aimed at him before intoning a stunning charm that Lucius jumped to the side to avoid. "You're holding back," Severus sneered firing off a repelling charm that caught Lucius in the chest sending him flying into the wall.

Lucius said nothing but Severus could see the gray pools of grief in the older man's eyes. "Maybe I am," he said monotonously.

"You still love him, don't you?" Severus asked softly dodging to avoid a curse aimed at him though he knew it hadn't been from Lucius who was looking at his feet.

"I…I…" Lucius shook his head but said nothing.

"If you still love him, Lucius, then prove it!"

"It's too late for that, Severus!" Lucius shouted gray eyes flashing momentarily before they became empty again. "I let him be tortured, Severus, and his mother _died_ because I was being such an _idiot_! You acted more like a father to him when you betrayed the dark lord to save his life. That should have been me. Cissy gave her life to save his. That should have been me. He should still have his mother but he doesn't because I was being a close-minded idiot!" Tears were in Lucius's eyes.

Severus said softly, "You can make it up to him, Lucius."

"I'll never be able to make it up to him, Severus," Lucius whispered sounding nothing like a pompous aristocrat. He sounded broken.

Severus gritted his teeth but he knew the older Slytherin was just as if not more stubborn than he was. He dodged around another curse aimed at him from another Death Eater before be looked around, horror gripping at him when he noticed that Harry was gone.

_Please be all right, Harry,_ he thought moving away from Lucius, who hadn't attacked him again, and firing off curses and spells at every Death Eater who attacked him.

Voldemort and Dumbledore were still locked in a vicious duel when Voldemort shouted out a curse that broke through Dumbledore's shields sending the older man skidding backwards into a stone wall.

"_Expelliarmus! Diffindo!_" Voldemort shouted launching both spells before Dumbledore could recover from his dazed state. The first knocked Dumbledore's wand out of his hand and the curse slammed into his chest causing blood from the deep gash.

Severus dashed forward only to be sent flying by another curse intoned by his former lord.

"So, I suppose I shall kill you know traitor," Voldemort hissed as Severus pushed himself to his feet glaring at the crimson eyed dark lord. "I wanted to kill both Potter and the Malfoy traitor before I killed you but I suppose I will just have to rewrite my plans." He hissed out something and Severus paled when Nagini slithered into the open from another room.

"_Reducto!_" Voldemort hissed and Severus dodged out of the way only to get caught in a disarming charm that sent him flying into the wall and knocked his wand out of his hand.

"You were such a loyal subject, Severus," Voldemort purred. "So I do regret this. _Diffindo!_"

The curse never connected as Lucius, suddenly, jumped in front of the curse shielding Severus's body with his own. The force of the spell sent Lucius flying into Severus and both of them struck the wall hard.

Severus stared at his blood-covered former friend in shock. "Lucius?" he murmured.

"Traitor!" Voldemort snarled. "But then, I should have expected this considering the fact that your son betrayed me. Very well, I shall take care of two traitors at once." He then hissed out something and Nagini, coiling, struck toward Lucius causing a bloodcurdling screech to escape his lips as the queen cobra's fangs sank into his throat.

Nagini removed her fangs before turning baleful eyes to Severus as Lucius fell to the ground blood gushing out of the bites on his neck.

However, before Nagini could attack again, Severus shouted "_confringo!_" waving his hand and Nagini was blasted into Voldemort.

While Voldemort was distracted, Severus immediately summoned one of the antidote bottles he had brought with him. He placed it to Lucius's lips forcing the blonde man's lips apart and pouring the antidote down his throat.

Lucius coughed but managed to drink most of it. He looked up at Severus. "Make sure…the bastard…who took my wife…from me…dies for real…this time, Severus," he murmured before he fell unconscious.

Severus got to his feet before quickly moving to where his wand lay as Voldemort hissed out another order. Severus barely managed to escape into the hall and slammed the door in Nagini's face. Resting against the wall for a moment, Severus glanced toward the entrance hall where he spotted Harry and Bellatrix locked in a duel.

_I'll check on Lucius and Albus later. Harry looks like he needs help,_ he thought before he dashed forward.

\/\/\/\/\/

Suddenly, the entrance hall trembled violently so violently that everyone was knocked off their feet and, suddenly, every Death Eater in the entrance hall started screaming in pain. Hermione stared as she scrambled to her feet. "What's going…?" She began.

"No time, this is our chance," Ron said before he shouted "_incarcerous_" and one of the screaming Death Eaters was immediately bound in ropes.

"What happened though?" Ginny moaned; she was lying on the ground with Shacklebolt and Tonks kneeling at her side attempting to heal her wound.

"Someone must have put a curse on the entrance hall that only affects Death Eaters," Shacklebolt said before he frowned. "Wait, I remember Malfoy doing something in this hall while we were waiting for the battle to begin."

"What? Did you hear what he said?" Draco asked.

Shacklebolt shook his head. "We were too far away," he said. "But I remember him saying _it's not much but I hope it will help. This is for you, Cissy though I don't know if it will make amends. I hope that I will be able to apologize to your face, my little dragon._"

Draco's eyes widened. "He activated the last resort protection spell," he whispered.

"Last resort protection spell?" Luna echoed.

Draco nodded slowly. "It was an ancient spell that was built into this manor. My…My father told me that it's a spell that can cause severe pain to anyone who is a threat to someone who is not a threat but only…only as long as the activator has enough power to keep it activated. It'll stop once the activator is too weak to keep it activated."

"Why wasn't it activated before?" Hermione asked confused.

"Because it also can only be activated if the activator is severely injured. No one knows why but that's the biggest drawback of the last resort protection spell," Draco said softly. "That means it usually doesn't last long so we should probably use this time to get more Death Eaters while we have it."

Everyone nodded before launching themselves back into the battle.

\/\/\/\/\/

It wasn't long before the spell that caused all of the Death Eaters pain faded but, by then, quite a number of them had been trapped or knocked unconscious. However, Bellatrix was not one of them; the instant she was freed from the spell, she screamed and launched a cutting curse at Harry only to have it blocked by a shield charm that Harry hastily drew up.

"_Confringo!_" Bellatrix shrieked and Harry's shield shattered before he was sent flying into the stone wall. He winced when his head collided painfully with the unyielding stone and stars appeared in front of him. He fell to the ground and quickly conjured up another shield charm when Bellatrix launched another spell at him.

"_Sectumsempra!_"

Bellatrix quickly leapt backwards to avoid the curse, lips curling. "I'm sure my lord will forgive me if I kill you, traitor," she spat.

"_Reducto!_" Snape growled out without responding to Bellatrix's words and she was blasted backwards several feet. Immediately, another Order member attacked Bellatrix leaving Snape time to turn and hurry to Harry's side.

"Dumbledore Voldemort?" Harry whispered.

"Professor Dumbledore's out cold and I don't know. You needed help though so I came here," Snape said before he helped Harry to his feet.

Harry suddenly hissed in pain grasping at his scar. "He's here," he gasped.

Snape pulled Harry close to him and dived away as a curse shot toward them and Voldemort, eyes flaring with rage, strode into the entrance hall with Nagini wrapped around his neck again.

"This has gone on for too long," he hissed. "Now this shall end and you two will die!"

\/\/\/\/\/

Ginny forced herself to get to her feet though she was a bit unsteady. She gazed warily at Voldemort who was standing in front of Snape who was crouched protectively in front of Harry. She glanced toward Voldemort and then to Nagini who was wrapped around his neck; the last horcrux.

_We need to destroy Nagini somehow,_ she thought taking her wand from Tonks before firing off a curse at a Death Eater that got too close to her.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, flashed into appearance in the entrance hall and dropped something in the center of the hall before shooting toward Nagini. He stabbed his beak one of the queen cobra's eyes. Nagini hissed in agony before launching herself at Fawkes but the phoenix avoided the queen cobra's fangs.

Voldemort snarled in fury. "Nagini," he spat before he hissed out something else.

"Moody, Remus, Sirius, get out of the way," Harry screamed just as Nagini launched herself at them.

Remus and Moody dodged out of the way but Sirius wasn't fast enough and Ginny gasped as Nagini's fangs sank into Sirius's leg. Sirius collapsed onto the ground a scream of pain escaping his lips.

"No! Sirius!" Harry screamed.

Snape pulled an antidote from his robes but a quick spell from Voldemort sent it flying. Ginny quickly shouted "_accio antidote!_" and the vial, before it could hit the ground and shatter, stopped and shot across the air to land in Ginny's hand.

"I'm not letting you stop my dear cousin from dying painfully, _avada kedavra!_" Bellatrix screamed.

Ginny quickly dodged and the curse missed her by millimeters before tossing the antidote to Remus who caught it and immediately sent a blasting curse at Nagini to get her away from Sirius. He then dashed to Sirius's side and, kneeling down beside him, immediately poured the antidote down the Animagus's throat.

Molly Weasley saw what almost happened to Ginny and her eyes flared with rage. "_Not my daughter, you bitch!_" she screamed before screaming out spell after spell at Bellatrix driving the insane witch backwards. Ginny wasn't sure which spell it was that did it but one of the spells that her mother tossed at Bellatrix caused her to stiffen and then explode leaving nothing but a pile of ash in her place.

Voldemort screeched in rage whirling around to glare at Mrs. Weasley and shot off a killing curse that only a repelling charm delivered from Fred and George that struck Mrs. Weasley caused the curse to miss her.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Harry and Snape shouted at the exact same time the instant Voldemort's back was turned and the dark lord was sent flying into the banister of the staircase.

"Someone, get Nagini!" Harry shouted as Voldemort, with a snarl, launched a killing curse at Harry. Snape grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to safety closer to where Tonks and Shacklebolt were fighting with a few Death Eaters.

\/\/\/\/\/

"Someone, get Nagini!"

Neville heard Harry's words and immediately looked around for the snake. He spotted the angry snake just as she made to strike at an Auror and, unfortunately, connected. The Auror fell to the ground and Nagini began slithering among the dead, injured or unconscious searching for another target.

Neville swallowed but took a deep breath to calm himself and push aside his fears. _I can do this,_ he thought and his eyes trained on something in the center of the entrance hall where Fawkes had dropped something. He immediately recognized it as the Sorting Hat, which took him by surprise but then he spotted the pommel poking out of it.

He dashed forward ducking to avoid a curse and sending his own spells flying back at any Death Eater that attacked him. To avoid two spells that flew at him from opposite sides, he fell to the ground right in front of the Sorting Hat and the two spells connected showering him in sparks.

He grabbed the pommel and pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat. Eyes flaring with determination, Neville got to his feet and immediately began looking around for Nagini. He was going to destroy that snake, the last horcrux, no matter what.

He immediately spotted the snake to find that she was heading straight toward Luna who was locked in a fight beside Draco and didn't seem to notice the snake's gradually approach. Clenching his jaw, Neville dashed forward. "Luna, Draco, move," he shouted.

The two blondes, startled by his shout, immediately dashed aside and Neville swung with all his might as the queen cobra made to strike at Luna before she could get out of range. The sword connected and Nagini's head went flying in a spray of blood and the queen cobra's body fell to the ground.

Luna and Draco stared at Nagini's motionless body before looking at Neville who lowered the sword. Luna smiled. "Thanks Neville," she said.

"Nice job, Longbottom," Draco said.

\/\/\/\/\/

_It's destroyed, the last horcrux is destroyed. We can beat Voldemort now, _Harry thought gazing at Nagini's body before looking at Snape who smiled before pushing himself to his feet. "Let's finish this, Harry," he said.

"Oh I think not," Voldemort snarled. "You have killed Nagini but you have not beaten me yet!"

"Yes we have, Tom," Harry shot back. "All your horcruxes are destroyed. You're just as mortal as the rest of us!"

Voldemort's eyes flickered with what Harry was sure was fear before it was replaced by anger and he snarled. "I will not let two half-bloods defeat me. _Avada kedavra!_"

"_Expelliarmus!_" Harry shouted and the two spells slammed into each other sending sparks to the ground but, just as what happened in the graveyard in Little Hangleton, neither of them could get any ground against the other.

Voldemort suddenly smirked sinisterly. "Oh I know I can defeat you, Potter," he spat breaking off the spell before he pulled out another one, one that looked very familiar to Harry.

"Want to know what this is, Potter?" he purred. "This is the Elder Wand, the wand that the old man wielded until I took it from him after I disarmed him. This wand will ensure your defeat! _Avada kedavra!_"

Harry dodged out of the way and the curse slammed into the table behind him obliterating it. He wasn't going to chance getting hit by a killing curse from a wand that didn't have the same core as his wand; that was the only reason why he and Voldemort were unable to get out of a stalemate when they used their original wands.

"I'm going to make sure you watch the boy die before your eyes, traitor!" Voldemort hissed before he intoned another spell and Snape was sent flying into Shacklebolt and Tonks.

"Uncle Sev!" Harry cried.

"Oh how sweet." Voldemort sneered pointing his wand at Harry and hissing out "_Expellariumus!_"

Harry's wand was sent flying from his grasp and he backed away gazing fearfully at Voldemort who approached him. He pointed his wand at the Aurors and Order members who were hurrying forward before he shouted, "_Confringo maxima!_"

The resulting blasting curse not only sent everyone—Order member, Auror and Death Eater alike—flying but also destroyed a sizable portion of the staircase and knocked chunks of stone from the walls and the ceiling creating a short, makeshift barrier between Harry and Voldemort and everyone else in the entrance hall.

"Now, I shall finish this," Voldemort hissed pointing the Elder Wand at Harry as he scrambled to try to grab his wand to at least have some way of defending himself but Voldemort noticed. He hissed out a spell that pushed Harry into the stone wall and his head struck the stone wall again. He slumped to the ground clutching at his head, which was throbbing, while the entrance hall spun around him.

"It's over, Potter. You've lost," Voldemort growled.

Harry closed his eyes.

"_Avada kedavra!_"

Harry's eyes snapped open for that voice didn't sound like Voldemort's. He was just in time to see the killing curse collide with Voldemort; he saw the dark lord's eyes widen with shock and horror, the Elder Wand fell from nerveless fingers and the dark lord who has tormented and killed so many fell dead to the ground.

Harry slowly lifted his head to gaze at the man who cast the curse. Swaying violently on his feet with blood seeping from a vicious gash on his chest and from deep puncture wounds on his neck was Lucius Malfoy.

\/\/\/\/\/

Draco stared in utter shock when he saw the killing curse fly from his father's wand to strike Voldemort in the back killing the dark lord before he looked toward his father just as his father fell to his knees. Scrambling to his feet, Draco dashed forward, climbing over the makeshift boundary and hurrying to his father's side. He had to know why his father did it, what caused him to change his mind. He wanted to know if everything his father said to him in that letter was true.

He skidded to a halt as his father toppled to the ground and knelt down beside him. "Father?" he whispered.

Lucius's gray eyes fixed on Draco and the blonde boy could see tears in his sorrow-filled eyes. "I…am very…sorry, my little dragon," he whispered. "I…should have…listened to…your mother. I…should have…done what…your mother…did for you. I will…never forgive myself…for what I've…put you through."

Draco felt tears fall from his eyes as he gazed into his father's eyes. He could hear the sincerity in his father's voice and see the love, sorrow and self-loathing in his father's eyes. He rested his hand on his father's neck trying to stop the blood before he looked up. "Someone, get some help," he cried.

Lucius placed a hand on Draco's hand before squeezing it. "Draco," he whispered, "it's…too late."

"No! Please father, don't leave me," Draco cried gazing into his father's eyes.

Lucius gave him a small smile. "At least I know…that the bastard…who killed Cissy…is finally dead. I can…only hope…that this will…help atone…for my mistakes. But I…already know…you will…never forgive me."

"I do, father," Draco whispered. "I read your letter. Uncle Severus said you were sincere and I…I know I'll never forget what happened with mother but I…I can forgive you. Please don't leave me!"

"Draco," Lucius whispered. "I…told you about…the drawback of…the last resort…protection spell. There's a…reason why…it's called that. I…used all of…my energy to…activate that…spell. I knew…that I wouldn't…survive after…I activated…that spell. So I…made sure to…with my last ounce of energy…kill Voldemort once…and for all."

"There must be something we can do," Draco sobbed tears still flowing freely from his eyes.

"I'm afraid there isn't," Lucius whispered eyes growing dimmer by the second.

"I love you, father, even after everything that's happened, I still love you," Draco whispered.

Lucius tightened his grip on Draco's hand. "I…love you…too, my little dragon," he whispered before he closed his eyes and spoke no more.

"Father? Father!" Draco cried.

He felt someone kneel down beside me and felt an arm go around his shoulders. Without thinking, he turned and buried his face into Luna's neck crying as the reality that his father was gone forever just like his mother set in.

\/\/\/\/\/

Harry watched Draco with tears in his own eyes before he turned to gaze at Snape as his guardian made his way to his side. Snape knelt down beside him and Harry leaned against him feeling his guardian put an arm around his shoulders before he returned his gaze to a crying Draco and Luna who was attempting to comfort him.

He hugged Snape before he glanced toward the group. "Is Sirius all right? And Ginny?" He asked.

"Yes, Lupin got the antidote to the mutt in time and Ms. Weasley is still a little weak but she's all right," Snape said.

Harry was relieved. He hesitated before asking, "Other than Draco's father, did we lose anyone?"

"Only a few Aurors but Moody's badly injured and I haven't had a chance to check on Professor Dumbledore." Snape helped Harry get to his feet and he swayed clutching at his head.

"We should probably get you to Madame Pomfrey as soon as possible," Snape murmured.

"Harry!"

Harry lifted his head as Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny, along with the rest of the Weasleys, Tonks, Remus and Sirius hurried toward him. Ginny reached him first and she threw her arms around him before kissing him on the lips. "I'm so glad you're all right," she said.

"I am glad you're all right," Harry replied wrapping his arms around Ginny and kissing her back. He released her and Hermione hugged him next while Ron patted his shoulder.

"I'm going to go check on Professor Dumbledore," Snape said softly placing a hand on Harry's shoulder before he limped off.

Almost as soon as he left, Sirius, looking a little pale, was there and wrapping his arms around Harry. "Hey kiddo, glad to see you're all right," he said.

Harry smiled hugging his godfather back. "I'm glad Remus got the antidote to you on time," he said before he looked at Neville.

"Nice job killing Nagini, Nev," he said.

Neville smiled shyly.

"Oi, he was brilliant," Ron said to which Neville blushed and everyone chuckled.

Mrs. Weasley came through and hugged Harry tightly before immediately assessing his condition and asking him if he was all right. He assured her that he was, aside from the concussion he likely had.

"Let's get back to Grimmauld's Place," Mrs. Weasley said softly as Snape returned to the entrance hall with a weak-looking Dumbledore just behind him.

"What about Draco?" Harry asked.

"I'll speak to him," Snape said softly before he walked over to join his godson while Shacklebolt took his place in supporting Dumbledore.

"We did it though, Harry," Hermione said with a smile.

Harry smiled as well. "We did," he said softly. "It's over, it's finally over."

* * *

><p><strong>an what do you think?**

**Blaze: aw, I actually cried when I was writing that death scene**

**Darth: you really can't write death scenes without crying, huh?**

**Blaze: nope**

**Darth: thought so**

**Blaze: so the next chapter is going to be the epilogue. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.**


	40. Epilogue

**This is likely going to be a really short chapter that just takes care of some loose ends and all so I hope that you like it and I can't believe that, after two years, I've finally finished this story! Hooray! And a huge, HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited this story, you guys are the greatest. **

**Epilogue**

A lot happened in the next fifteen years following the defeat of Voldemort. During the first couple of weeks following the Battle of Malfoy Manor, most of Harry's time was spent avoiding the paparazzi who hailed him and everyone who participated in the battle as a hero. When the truth came out about what happened at the battle, Harry was glad that he wasn't the only one who was honored.

Among those who were honored was his guardian Snape who was rewarded the Order of Merlin First Class for risking his life to spy on Voldemort and the Death Eaters and then participating in the final battle in which Voldemort was killed.

Harry was also glad that Lucius Malfoy was honored for his role in Voldemort's death and he knew that Draco was too even if Malfoy didn't receive an Order of Merlin only because of his prior connections with the Death Eaters. Still, the then Minister of Magic had agreed that Malfoy deserved some sort of recognition because if he hadn't killed Voldemort when he did then they would have likely lost. That was the Minister's way of thinking anyway.

Malfoy was buried next to his wife and the funeral held for them was beautiful even if it was small. Draco had said he didn't want it to be big because there were still those out there who didn't see Malfoy as deserving of any honor because of his connections to the Death Eaters and Voldemort despite his redemption during the Battle of Malfoy Manor. Only those who were close to Malfoy, as well as Harry and all of his and Draco's friends, came to pay their respects. Soon after, Snape gained custody of Draco as per the wills of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy.

All the Death Eaters who survived the Battle of Malfoy Manor—those who weren't caught right away—went into hiding. And, for five years, the Aurors under the leadership of Mad-Eye Moody led a mass search for all remaining Death Eaters. Though it did take them the full five years, all the remaining Death Eaters were captured and sentenced to life in Azkaban with those who had committed serious crimes were sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss.

During the course of the next fifteen years, Professor Dumbledore had decided to retire and Professor McGonagall took over as headmistress of Hogwarts with Snape as Deputy Headmaster. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco and Neville graduated two years after the battle while Luna and Ginny graduated in the year after them.

Also during those years, Harry married Ginny and, with her, he had three children; he named the first one James Sirius Potter after his father and his godfather, Sirius was thrilled to have the son of his godson named after him. The second one was named Albus Severus Potter after his old mentor and his guardian—whom had become his adopted father soon after the battle—and he was the only one to inherit Harry's—and Lily's—eyes. Harry's last child was the only girl and she was named Lily Luna Potter after Harry's mother and his adopted brother's wife who was a very good friend.

Remus Lupin ended up marrying Tonks, after Sirius kept bothering him in the years after the battle to propose, and they had a son named Ted Lupin after Tonks' father. Thankfully, Remus's werewolf curse had not been passed down to his son.

Draco Malfoy married Luna and had three children with her. The first he named Scorpius Lucius Malfoy while the second two were twins named Lysandar and Lorcan Malfoy. At the moment, Luna was pregnant with a fourth child that Draco had proudly informed Harry was going to be a girl; he was planning on naming her Thalia Narcissa.

Ron and Hermione, as Harry expected, married and they had two children; Rose and Hugo Weasley.

Neville fell in love with Hannah Abbot and married her. They ended up having a daughter they named Alice Augusta after Neville's mother and grandmother.

Sirius was still single but he seemed to not care as he spent quite a bit of his time helping out with the children and teaching them pranks, which often caused him and Snape to get into arguments. During the last fifteen years, though, Sirius and Snape had become friends; that came as a surprise to everyone but Harry was glad that his adopted father and his godfather no longer glared at each other every waking second.

Anyway, Harry and his family were currently living in Prince Manor. Snape had told them that they were welcomed to stay in Prince Manor for as long as they wanted and there was enough room for them. Harry and Ginny agreed at least for the time being.

Today it was exactly fifteen years since the defeat of Voldemort and there was going to be the third Victory Feast in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Hogwarts decided to have a Victory Feast to celebrate Voldemort's defeat every five years. And it was also decided that someone who was present during the final battle would speak at the feast. Dumbledore had gone first and then Hermione went next and now it was Harry's turn though it had taken a lot of fast talking to get him to agree.

The Victory Feast took place in the Great Hall. Everyone was there. Tables were filled with students, former students, children, professors, former professors, Aurors, former Aurors, Ministry officials and Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Shacklebolt stood up before walking over to the podium and murmured "_sonorous_" before he began speaking. "Today, we honor the fifteenth anniversary of the defeat of You-Know-Who also known as Voldemort. Many of you were alive during that time and I know that you do remember what happened. Today, someone who was present during the final battle will speak to you. Please help me welcome Mr. Harry Potter."

Everyone cheered and Harry blushed but got to his feet and made his way to the podium. He turned to face everyone as the cheering died down. "Thanks Kingsley," he said to the Minister of Magic. "Like Kingsley said, today marks the fifteenth anniversary of Voldemort's defeat but I'm not going to talk to you about his defeat since you already know about it." He had made the decision to not talk about the defeat but rather honor those who fell while trying to defeat Voldemort in his speech.

"I want to start off with a moment of silence to honor those who fell in our quest to defeat Voldemort and his followers," Harry said before falling silent and everyone followed suit. After the moment passed, Harry began speaking again.

"I want to first honor and recognize all those who fell to Voldemort during both of the wars though there are far too many to name but I will name those who have made an impact on my life and the lives of many others. Lily and James Potter who defied Voldemort and gave their lives to save mine." He spotted Snape, Sirius and Remus looking down at once.

Harry wiped the tears from his eyes before going on with the list of names he had built up. "Cedric Diggory who was the true Tri-Wizard Champion who was also the newly reborn Voldemort's first victim."

Cho Chang wiping away her tears though she smiled through them.

"Narcissa Malfoy who gave her life to save the life of her son," Harry went on spotting Draco who was holding two of his children and his wife close as tears fell from his eyes. "Finally, Lucius Malfoy who may have been a Death Eater and may have committed crimes during his Death Eater days but who deserves recognition for, though he was dying, he still used the last of his strength to kill Voldemort. And for that, I wish to honor him."

"We lost a lot of people during both wars against Voldemort but it was because of them that we are still here today, that we can raise our children in peace and no longer have to worry about Voldemort. May their sacrifices never be forgotten."

Cheers erupted from the Great Hall as Harry finished his speech and he walked away from the podium before rejoining his family. Lily crawled onto his lap and rested her head against his chest while James was sitting with Ginny who sat to the right of Harry and Albus was with Snape who sat on Harry's left.

"That was a beautiful speech, Harry," Tonks, who sat across from Ginny with Remus at her side, said with a small sad smile.

"It was," Snape said softly, his voice thick with emotion.

Albus looked up at Snape frowning. "Why're you sad?" he asked.

Snape smiled fondly at the little boy he held in his arms. "I'm not sad, Albus," he assured the little boy.

"You miss grandma still, don't you?"

"I will always miss her, Albus."

Harry knew that his adopted father had never stopped loving Lily Evans Potter and would always remember and miss her. He looked at his adopted father. "Do you want to come with us to Godric's Hollow after the feast, Dad?" he asked. "I told them I'd take them to visit their grandparents' graves and today's as good a day as any."

Snape glanced at him before nodded once in reply.

Harry gazed around at everyone laughing and talking with each other in the Great Hall before he smiled and stood up. Ginny looked at him. "Where are you going, Harry?" she asked.

"I think I'm going to go flying for a while," Harry replied. "Maybe visit Hedwig for a bit. I'll meet you in the entrance hall."

"Okay Harry."

Harry made his way out of the Great Hall and the school before, once he was outside, he blurred into his dove form and flew into the sky.

Harry was thankful that Voldemort was gone and he would never have to worry about his scar hurting or losing someone he cared about ever again. Voldemort was gone and Harry had the family he had been denied for most of his life; he had a father, a godfather, an adopted brother, a beautiful wife, three beautiful children and tons of friends.

So much had changed since that day when Harry had transformed into a dove to escape his uncle's abuse. Who knew so much could change just because of a bout of accidental magic. But no matter what, Harry did not regret anything that happened and, as he flew around Hogwarts—his secondary home—Harry found he could not be happier.

**The End**

**a/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: argh! Believe me, coming up with a way to end this story took forever so I'm just sticking with that. I hope all loose ends are tied up though**

**Darth: I really liked it and I liked how you ended it with Harry in his dove form**

**Blaze: well, I figured since it started that way, I may as well end it that way**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: so YAY! FATE'S WINGS, AFTER TWO LONG YEARS, IS FINALLY COMPLETE!**

**Darth: you don't need to scream**

**Blaze: sorry but please review and I hope that you enjoyed the ending. Once again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who read, reviewed and put this story on their favorites. I am so glad that you liked it and stuck with me until the end. You guys are the greatest.**


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